FACT AND FICTION: ARTISTS

Chiho Aoshima

Images of artworks
Magma Spirit Explodes - Tsunami is Dreadful
Blum & Poe

Background Information
Chiho Aoshima is a 31 year old Economics graduate and a self taught artist. She works as an in-house computer technician for Takashi Murakami at the Kaikai Kiki Co Ltd. She is a protégé of Murakami he has included her in exhibitions he has curated such as Tokyo Girls Bravo and Little Boy.

Practice
Animation, posters and huge murals all produced virtually. The Murals are printed on using ink jet on paper or vinyl. In her animation movement occurs layer by layer and by varying the speed of this movement on these flat layers a hypnotic depth is created. The most ambitious project for her work to be displayed was organised with the help of Takashi Murakami and took the form of large murals and posters installed in the more than 50 advertising spaces under Union Square at the 14th Street and Union Square subway station.

Her subject matter reflects a dystopian postcyberpunk interest in nature. Bordering on the morbid and apocalyptic hybridised fairies and giants and anthropomorphic architecture inhabit a world of jungles, mushrooms, tsunamis and fire. These highly detailed fairytales collapse the opposition between feminine nature and masculine culture, innocent and grotesque. Her large eyed waifs and sarcophigan buildings are derived from the anime stereotype. By child like transformations of size within her compositions she creates disorienting break down of pictorial space, so the placement of her murals in subway may challenge the self created hermetic spaces of the commuter.

Resources
Blum & Poe
asianart.com