JAPANESE artist Tomokazu Matsuyama has announced that his new landmark public art installation will be exhibited in Shinjuku East Square. In collaboration with East Japan Railway Company (JR), Matsuyama’s piece reflects on urban innovation and cultural exchange as part of an ambitious permanent public art project.
Shinjuku East Square
Matsuyama’s practice typically explores an intermingling of cultural signifiers and the impact of globalisation. His works borrows from practices such as the Kano School, a dominant style of painting in Japan from the 15th – 18th centuries, to American pop culture, and Abstract Expressionism – all re-positioned in a contemporary context.
Tomokazu Matsuyama
Located at the east Exit of JR Shinjuku Station in Tokyo – the world’s busiest station according to the Guinness Book of Records – the long-anticipated community art piece features an 8-meter-high monumental mirrored sculpture, named Hanao-San. The sculpture takes the form of a boy holding a bouquet of flowers, a symbolic motif of the urban history of Shinjuku city as a welcoming gesture of unity and communication.
The artwork is rooted amid a graphic piece of land art, reflective of Japanese heritage and natural aesthetics, which speaks of evolving urban life and global exchange. Together the elements of the piece reflect a manifestation of the world around us.
Hanao-San, Shinjuku East Square
In times of division and polarity, the sense of cohesion and unity presented by this artwork will offer solace for passers-by and encouragement for the future of the city.
by Rosie Fitter
