Although several years have passed since the 311 tsunami in Japan, even those of us who are not in Japan can still feel its impact. However, just as Newtons third law says, when two objects interact, they will produce a reaction force with the same force and opposite direction. The Japanese also made the same efforts to rebuild their homes after the earthquake, and these efforts They were all captured by illustrator Manabu Ikeda and reproduced in his latest work, Rebirth.
Since July 2013, Manabu Ikeda has spent ten hours every day creating in the basement of the Chazen Museum of Art in Wisconsin. Recently, he finally completed this 13-inch-long ( Approximately 33 cm) and 10 inches (approximately 25.4 cm) wide.
Rebirth is based on a big tree that survived the tsunami. The roots of the tree are still raging waves, but if you look closely, you will find that there are many details hidden in these waves, such as mountains of vehicles, gnarled branches, as well as train tracks entangled at the roots of tree trunks, or umbrellas and emergency tents filling the sky, there are conflicts and collisions between humans and nature everywhere, and these unknown people, plants, and animals are working hard to survive in this world. Survive the catastrophe and rebuild the order of the past.
Ikeda said that he hopes to replicate these touching stories that exist in chaos, but they often appear in unexpected ways and directly affect his creative process. Faced with this almost endless canvas, he I don’t know what kind of story he will draw next.
Usually Ikeda uses pencil to outline the details, but most of the time, he mainly uses pen and acrylic ink to fill in the details through various lines and strokes. Ikeda hopes to faithfully express his views on the world, rather than deliberately depicting details. It’s just that when he observes things, he usually pays special attention to small places, and pen and ink are the best tools for expression.
Since he started creating in 2013, Ikeda has encountered setbacks. He dislocated his shoulder in a skiing accident, which temporarily made his hand unable to work. In order not to stop working for too long, Ikeda began to create with his other hand. , after practicing about three or four times, he returned to the creative work of Rebirth.
Rebirth will be on display at the Chazen Art Museum from December 11, 2016. Just the details mentioned above are worth watching for thirty minutes and you will still feel like you can’t finish it!
