Title: Inside Of Me
Year: 2020
Size: 85x85 cm
Technique: Photo collage

The subject put forth by this piece is the conflict which resides within the boundary between self-expression and forms of expression performed by others. At first, this piece began as a form of self-portrait, mixing the motifs of bones and flowers overlaid atop a woman's face. But this pro-cess led to what became a sad ordeal for this artist, causing him to lose control of himself in a raging tempest of emotions, leading to this form of expression by an other, based on pure in-spiration. Flying about the face of the woman are doves, the symbols of peace. The Japanese title is "A Certain Scene." At the time when this piece was created, neither the coronavirus nor the current war existed in the world. And when pondering that fact, perhaps this final version has more appeal as a work of art. I suspect that for most artists, to become a human sacrifice to the gods would be an honor. The reason why is because we can find value only in monotonous tasks, knowing that the resulting fruits of those labors are merely incidental to that process, meaning that the means to gaining pleasure and their purpose exist as inverse opposites to one another. However, within us resides as well that dogmatic desire to become closer to God, de-spite our bodies of flesh and blood, just as the soul of a suckling child seeks its mother's breast. As far as God is concerned, both desires shall please him equally. In our current situation, in which the opinions of right and wrong in the superficial world have become complicated, while the energies of the fundamental world continue to change, it feels as if we are being watched over, to see which path humanity will take. However, whether a baby cries or laughs, it remains an adorable creature. And to God, humans have always remained worthy of his love. I pray that this piece may at least serve as a single, small record of history, and as a blessing for a new world.”