It’s not the norm to stand out from the crowd here, but these four Japanese artists and performers go to the extreme to do just that.
THE HYPERREAL BODY ARTIST
Hikaru Cho admits that her body art is not to everyone’s taste. Reactions vary greatly amongst those who see it, but that’s fine with her. Good or bad, the most important thing is that it leaves an impression.
"Some people are amazed, others appreciate the technique, then there are those who are grossed out by it all," Cho says, laughing. "I don't think my work is grotesque at all so I find it quite interesting when I hear that. But it's better than someone having no opinion at all."
It was a lack of paper in the room where she was studying one day that prompted the former Musashino University student to take up a career in body art. With no other canvas around, she decided to draw an eye on her friend's hand, and things took off from there. After posting her work online, Cho was given the opportunity to draw for Amnesty International's My Body My Rights campaign to coincide with International Women's Day in 2014. The collaboration – which featured in major global newspapers like The Independent and The Telegraph – attracted new audiences and raised her global profile.
It led to an increased interest in her work and subsequently she's been kept busy over the past couple of years. Projects have included designs for CD covers and clothes, directing music videos and creating visuals for advertisements. She's currently working on a comic book that will be released this summer.
"I draw inspiration from everyday things and my own general feelings," Cho says. "I think the realistic way I paint sets it apart from other body art out there. I try to convey messages to fight stereotypes and cast doubt on common sense. My dream is that people will look at the artwork and start thinking differently about things."
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Esta historia es de la edición May 2017 de Tokyo Weekender.
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