Jesse James
Art has always been a powerful way to showcase the times we live in. The Japanese illustrator Jun Oson just opened his first solo exhibition, which takes a look at the changes all of us have recently undergone. The exhibition is on display at Tokyo’s Diesel Art Gallery. Entitled “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E,” the exhibition features 20 paintings that include shaped canvases.
The works feature Oson’s human-like creatures, which are influenced by pop culture cartoons. The subjects appear playful, but the pieces take a closer look at the mental strain, anxiety, and isolation from the coronavirus pandemic. The artist opened up about the exhibition and its inspiration. He stated: “The spread of the new coronavirus made me fearful of this unknown virus, but at the same time, it made me think about the distances between myself and others.”
Oson went on to add, “We must not get close to others’—I’ve become so conscious of this idea that my heart skips a beat when I watch old movies and see strangers interacting closely with each other. In order to avoid contact with others, new forms of interaction have grown out of this situation, like online meetings and internet streaming.”
Take a closer look at the exhibition, “D_I_S_T_A_N_C_E,” in the images and head over to Diesel Art Gallery’s website for more information right now. The exhibition is on view until February 4, 2021. While you’re at it, be sure to keep it locked with The Culture Curators for more art exhibits, installations, releases, and more.
Photos via Diesel Art Gallery
