JUURI

Location: The Rayback Collective

My murals and paintings are heavily influenced by Japanese bijinga (artworks of beautiful women), yakusha-e (artworks of Kabuki actors), and modern fashion photography. As a 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 Caucasian person born in Japan and relocated to the United States at a young age, my entire life has been a combination of East and West. This juxtaposition of such opposing cultures was at times beautiful, and at times (especially when I was younger,) a struggle.​ My art is therefore my authentic way of deconstructing the inside of my mind and finding my way home to a place which is both excitingly new, and full of the comfort of my early childhood and original home.

About the piece: This mural depicts my version of Masaoka, a loyal governess of the Date clan in Sendai, Japan from the late 1600s. Her look conveys both her stern nature and her hidden grief at losing her beloved son. Her amazing self-control and calm under pressure leads to her being able to defeat conspirators plotting to kill her clan's young heir. The story of Masaoka is well-known to Japanese by the kabuki play called 'Meiboku Sendai Hagi.' Strong women from history are often my muse, and Masaoka is one of my favorite to paint.

About Kabuki themes: Though named one of the "intangible cultural heritages" of Japan by UNESCO and a world-famous symbol of Japanese culture, 400-year old Kabuki is an endangered performing art which is at risk of fading away due to waning interest in traditional arts. As a Japanese-born person who moved to the US at a young age, I also often feel my own identity, memories, and inner self are fading away. I feel that by painting kabuki stories, (though an unusual, even bizarre, muse for contemporary street art) I am not only helping to interest modern audiences in traditional Japanese culture, but I am also actually saving myself.