Among Japan’s many sea‑born yokai, Umibōzu (海坊主)  remains one of the most unsettling. Sailors describe it as a colossal, shadow‑black figure emerging silently from calm waters—only the smooth, bald dome of its head visible at first, like a monk rising from meditation. But its arrival is anything but peaceful. The sea churns, winds shift, and the boundary between the living and the drowned seems to thin. 速水春暁斎 - 龍谷大学図書館 貴重資料画像データベースhttps://da.library.ryukoku.ac.jp/page/170269,

"Swaray" and "Swaray's Home", published in 2023, 15x10 cm, Limited edition Some stories arrive quietly, through conversation rather than spectacle. My two art zines, “Swaray”  and “Swaray’s Home,”  grew from such a conversation—one that gradually unfolded into a long-term artistic reflection on migration, resilience, and the meaning of home. The first zine, “Swaray,” began in 2017 during the exhibition In Search of Common Myth, which I co-curated and coordinated in Paphos. On

こんにちは！はじめまして。 私のアーティストとしての歩みを振り返ると、それは常に「世界と世界のあいだ」で続いてきた長い対話のように感じます。目に見えるものと見えないもの、親しみのあるものとどこか不思議なもの、日常と神話的なもの。その境界を行き来しながら、制作を続けてきました。 私は日本に生まれ、現在はキプロスに暮らし、制作を行っています。絵画、ドローイング、彫刻、インスタレーション、版画など、さまざまな表現方法を横断しながら、現実と幻想が織り重なる多層的な世界を探求しています。 日本で育った私は、アニミズム的な感覚に囲まれていました。それは単なる概念ではなく、自然や物、さらには言葉にまでそれぞれの精霊が宿るという、生活に根ざした感覚です。神道や民間信仰に深く結びついたこの世界観は、私のものの見方、そして作品の根底を形づくっています。あらゆる存在に宿る気配や精神への親しみと敬意は、今も変わらず私の中に息づき、制作を支え続けています。 日本の民話に登場する二股の尻尾を持つ「猫又」を主人公に、キプロスの街角で日々繰り広げられる猫への餌やりの風景を融合さ

Amabie x Aphrodite, 2020, Priovate collection My creative journey often begins at the intersection of my Japanese roots and the ancient stones of Paphos, Cyprus, where I live and work. In my studio, I find myself drawn to stories that bridge these two worlds, and perhaps no piece illustrates this better than my Amabie-inspired series. The story of this work starts with the Amabie itself—a Japanese yokai  or sea spirit from the 19th century Edo period, characterized by its bir

Exploring My Artistic Journey Today, I want to talk about the materials I use in my work. My professional career started with simple black-and-white pencil drawings in A4 size. At first, they were experimental. Quick attempts to test ideas. Then I completely fell in love. Welcome to the world of black and white. I suddenly realized how much was possible with pencils ranging from 9H to 9B. Who said you have to stick to 2B or 4B? The drawing journey sometimes becomes just about

Discover Japanese contemporary artist Chiaki Kmaikawa