Aníra: Yūgen
Yūgen is a Japanese word pertaining to a profound awareness of the universe which evokes feelings that are inexplicably deep and too mysterious for words. The word itself is like an extension of awareness, the aesthetic perception which allows us to conceive of the vastness of the universe- but carries it beyond into an inconceivably mysterious realm. The feeling of Awareness is induced by confrontation to the brevity of life, and yugen is initiated from the awareness that even ‘aware’ itself is an ephemeral thing. Zeami Motokiyo’s description portrays a medium through which one may experience the unspeakably deep, stirring, feeling of yugen; “To watch the sun sink behind a flower clad hill. To wander on in a huge forest without thought of return. To stand upon the shore and gaze after a boat that disappears behind distant islands. To contemplate the flight of wild geese seen and lost among the clouds.”
(Source: mostexerent)
Got this paper at Curry’s yesterday. Going to make some personal work with it when I get the chance!
Yajuro Takashima（高島野十郎 Japanese 1890-1975）
Mangetsu 満月 1963
(Source: colbydemarco)
Onibaba (1964)
(Source: thefatboylarry)
Gazu Hyakki Yakō (画図百鬼夜行?, “The Illustrated Night Parade of A Hundred Demons”)
© Toriyama Sekien
© Toriyama Sekien
© Kitagawa Utamaro
The Obakemono Project
A list of Japanese folk monsters
October 14th - Bakeneko (化け猫) and Nekomata (猫又)
Bakeneko are cats who have come to possess supernatural powers. In some cases the bakeneko will develop a forked tail and is then called a nekomata. Sometimes kittens had their tails cut off, because it was thought that if the tail could not fork that the animal could not become a bakeneko. Bakeneko and nekomata are associated with a great deal of strange happenings. They are said to often become far larger than normal cats and gain the ability to walk on two legs. It is also believed that they can shape-shift into any form they please, and nekomata are able to manipulate corpses like puppets.
One well-know legend tells of a man named Takasu Genbei, whose pet cat went missing at about the same time his mother’s personality abruptly seemed to change. She began to avoid the company of friends and family, and spent a great deal of time shut inside her room. Curious, the family peeked into her room one day to find a bakeneko wearing the woman’s clothing. Takasu killed the creature that had taken on her appearance, and a day later the body turned back into his missing pet cat. He then pried up the floorboards in his mother’s room to find her bones, eaten clean of flesh.
Was just reading about this last night. I really love legends and mythologies.
(Source: fromthefloatingworld)
hikikomori
Japanese term to refer to the phenomenon of reclusive individuals who have chosen to withdraw from social life, often seeking extreme degrees of isolation and confinement.
(Source: in-a-kingdom-by-the-sea)
Nakamura Hôchû, The Korin Album, 1802
Takato Yamamoto. Huge scan from Yaso,Sense of beauty
Paper crane and Japanese rice paper I bought from Au Papier Japonais in Montréal
So beautiful <3
Mythology illustration project
Hey guys,
I need some suggestions for a mythology project I have to do for my Sequential Narrative 1 class. We have to illustrate a myth or some sort of folklore. Sounds fun, right?
The only problem is, I’m having a tough time deciding which story to illustrate!
I was debating between some form of Norse mythology (specifically, maybe Yggdrasil, the ‘world tree’), or some form of Chinese or Japanese mythology/folklore.
I’d like to hear your suggestions! They don’t just have to be from the certain regions i specified; if you think there are better stories, tell me!
Any suggestions?
artist?
