Rise Up

Rise Up
February 16, 2025

45 cm x 60.2 cm

Materials: Repurposed MDF board, Chiyogami paper, Acrylic paint and gel medium, Gouache, Crayon, Oil Pastel, Sharpie marker, Fruit net.

This image came to mind in August 2024, when an Oarfish (Doomsday fish) was spotted on the surface off the coast of California. My immediate thought was, 'F*ck, he's going to win', followed immediately by, '... but it's bigger than him'.

As a person who lived nearly 10 years in Japan, I am well-versed in the concepts of Yokai, Oni, and other such spirits in Japanese culture and mythology that arrive as harbingers of doom. I have previously made works featuring the Amabie, Rokurokubi, and Yogen no Tori, three such creatures that carry varied associations with good or bad omens. To me, the Oarfish is a real-life Yokai and we should all take heed when they arise from the depths for us to lay eyes on.