An interview with the artist behind the public art at GINZA SIX
This spring, if you walk down Ginza's Chuo-dori street, you'll come across a 4-meter-tall artwork. The statue, made up of a 3D display that displays images that move in a game-like pattern, is called "Hyperman Bang Go-Oh" (the exhibition has now ended).
The public art that appeared at the entrance of the commercial facility GINZA SIX as a highlight of their spring promotion was created by an artist called Takakura Kazuki. What exactly is this distinctive digital work expressing? We had the chance to speak to the artist himself.
"All of my works are based on Eastern philosophies such as Buddhism and Shintoism, which have been passed down through the generations in Japanese culture. However, in Japan today, there is a strong sense of caution towards religion due to a series of incidents, so I sublimate these ideas into digital media and convey them through pop visuals. For example, in the case of the Hyperman statue, I projected and animated the elements of "earth, water, fire, wind, and space," which are considered to be the components of the world and universe in esoteric Buddhism. I also have panels of hands stretched out in all directions like the Thousand-Armed Kannon, and I have used the Buddhist bodhisattva, Eleven-Headed Kannon, as a motif, and decorated it with emoticons expressing a variety of emotions."
"Night Parade of One Hundred Demons in the Snow" was created when the artist exhibited at the art fair "ZONAMACO" held in Mexico City in February of this year. 
"Kyarasen Mandala" is filled with original characters and was produced in conjunction with the "Character Matrix" exhibition, which was curated by Takakura and held at Art Center BUG in Tokyo last summer.
Takakura consciously uses emoticons and emojis in his other works as well, and explains that the reason for this is that "emojis have a power similar to that of ideographic kanji."
"Some emojis make you sound like an old man, but that's proof that they have meaning. Just like kanji, the context in which they've been used is absorbed and accumulated, and each one has its own unique character."
He has proposed a concept that describes the development of diverse ecosystems within a certain worldview, similar to emojis and game characters, and has named it the "character matrix."
"Pokémon and Tamagotchi are prime examples. Rather than a pyramidal structure with a leader, the ecosystem is "decentralized" for each unique character. This spreads a world that doesn't reject anything and creates diversity, which I think symbolizes a way of accepting multiple justices and correct answers, as opposed to a direction that seeks a single justice or correct answer. Additionally, the perspective of large numbers is something that is common to Buddhist statues, monsters, and Eastern polytheistic mythology, so in my artwork I depict many characters that have their roots in these things."
However, there is an obstacle standing in our way here: the above-mentioned character theory has not been discussed in the history of contemporary art.
"Since the artist Takashi Murakami proposed the concept of 'Superflat,' characters have come to be understood as beautiful girl-style anime characters, and the aforementioned game characters have not been included in that context. However, as I am creating art myself, I want to approach it with a counter-spirit while respecting existing art history. That's why I value self-expression, contributing articles to the media about character matrix theory and curating related exhibitions. I believe that words are also a part of my work, so I would like to expand my activities in a wide range of fields."
