“shibuya 109” Acrylic on Canvas, 48x60in

I made this piece when feeling nostalgic for my hometown, Tokyo. It depicts the famous shibuya crossing, but emptier than normal… with faint memories and shells of people scattered. It’s like when something happened so long ago, it feels like it happened in a past life — like you’re not actually associated with those memories anymore. To me, this painting is bittersweet, because it captures how after living in the US for so long, I feel somewhat detached from my Japanese identity. This painting is the yearning for what I once had. I chose acrylic paints for this piece to emphasize the vibrance and boldness of the city.

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