Inspired by Takiyasha the Witch and the Skeleton Spectre, also known as Mitsukuni Defying the Skeleton Spectre Invoked by Princess Takiyasha, a ukiyo-e woodblock by Japanese artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi.
Why did I do this painting on a jean jacket? Well, for starters, it looks totally badass. Also, if you have read some of my other blog posts or seen some of the other paintings in the homepage gallery, you'll notice that I like the image of skulls, as well as have a particular love for and connection to Japanese-style paintings.
Let me give you a little background on Utagawa Kuniyoshi before I continue to tell you why I chose to paint this vintage jean jacket. Utagawa Kuniyoshi is known as one of the last great masters of the Japanese ukiyo-e style of woodblock prints and painting. As I mentioned before, this painting is a direct recreation of his famous ukiyo-e woodblock triptych's. Ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art which flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries, where artists produced woodblock prints and paintings that featured subjects like female beauties, kabuki actors, sumo wrestlers, scenes from history and folk tales, travelling landscapes, plants and animals, and often erotica. Utagawa Kuniyoshi was well known for creating depictions of the historical and mythological battles of legendary samurai heroes. Here is only one of the three panels of the three-piece artwork. The full artwork represents a mythical event of the historical tenth-century princess Takiyasha, the daughter of the provincial warlord Taira no Masakado of Sōma, summoning a skeleton spectre to frighten Ōya no Mitsukuni, the emperor's official who had come to crush the rebellion her father was trying to establish.
Now to continue on the why...did you know that the fashion industry is the second leading greatest freshwater polluter in the world? This clothing is part of a larger collection I have created to reflect this. This is often the result of overproducing fashion items. Consequently, in reflection of the Sustainable Development Goals of the Paris Agreement to reduce climate change, the concept was born to rethink, recycle and reuse second-hand clothing. Creating fashionable, unique items from items you may have not considered worth purchasing. The intention is to create a win-win situation, an environmentally conscious way to reflect your unique personality through your clothes. It is not only a unique statement piece, but also a way to support the fight against climate change through fashion.
10% of the proceeds from the sale of this item will go to the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre, which celebrates the unique culture, history, and legacy of Japanese Canadians for the benefit of all Canadians.
Create your own style. Let it be unique for yourself and yet identifiable for others. - Anna Wintour
Photo taken by my father of my mother helping me bang on a Taiko drum in Japan, 1997
Photo taken by my mother of my brother and I enjoying an amazing Japanese meal
Photo taken by my mother of my brother and I drinking from a Sōzui, a type of water fountain used in Japanese gardens
Photo taken by a friend of me giving a graffiti skull painting some love in Toronto, Canada
Comments