Hanjironi
Hanjironi expresses the worldview of ‘fantasy’ through representational illusions in her paintings, depicting the cycle or the gap between the online and the offline, the virtual and the real. She borrows visual effects such as aliasing and pixelation caused by low-poly meshes in games and fully draws JPG noise and glitches, which are characteristic of ‘errors’ in the era of high-definition/high-pixel images. By doing so, she hopes that these so-called ‘errors’ will be translated into the topography of the painting and will be given a certain status as a component or effect, no longer a negative space in the image. The resulting paintings traverse the boundary between absent experiences and present memories, carrying with them a sense of nostalgia that transcends the dimension and the reminiscence of events that cannot be embodied. It is also a way of mourning the fading of a magical world with clear boundaries and values. Within the pixels, frames, and layers that are stacked and woven together, she seeks to trace back her own previous life.
Collect Bean: Where are you currently finding inspiration?
Hanjironi: In addition to subcultural works such as manga and anime, which serve as the foundation of my work, I draw inspiration from various sources, including music, movies, and even the daily changes in the sky. The bright yet somewhat hazy midday landscapes depicted in filmmaker Shunji Iwai’s work, the albums from the 90s by the band SPITZ, the ever-changing shapes of clouds in clear skies, and the ghostly love story of Narcissus and Pygmalion found in Agamben's <Stanze>. I recently heard the song <STAR LOVE> by the band Coaltar of the Deepers and realized I wanted to create a painting like this.
Collect Bean: How does your painting process look like from start to finish?
Hanjironi: To describe the process of creating my work, I start by selecting images and motifs that will be used as sources for my paintings. During this initial selection phase, I find myself drawn to images that share ambiguous impressions or, conversely, those that seem to embody conflicting qualities, deliberately placing them on the same plane. I bring these selected sources into image editing software and edit and arrange them by cropping, moving, resizing, or overwriting them in a collage-like process, and then stop when I feel that they have found their place in the moment. Then, I transfer them to the canvas. When transferring onto the canvas, I meticulously fill in the blank spaces, almost as if weaving a tapestry from scratch.
Collect Bean: Are there any recurring themes or motifs in your art, and if so, what do they represent to you?
Hanjironi: It seems that I tend to transfer onto the canvas the peculiar stylistic elements that arise inevitably from the gaps or errors that occur when the virtual world tries to imitate the real world. I especially incorporate motifs from anime or manga, particularly characters, onto the canvas. This is because what I want to express as nostalgia or the sense of dissonance with reality primarily stems from enjoying the virtual worlds depicted in subcultural works such as anime, manga, and games. Hence, these themes repeatedly appear in my artwork.
Collect Bean: If you could give your younger self one piece of advice, what would it be?
Hanjironi: I can say that this advice still applies to me to some extent. I don't have to feel ashamed to tell stories that start from personal feelings/emotions. Also, I'd like to remind myself that it's okay not to explain everything in a logical language. Discussing emotions and senses and pursuing pure beauty is valuable in itself.
Collect Bean: If you had to describe your work in only three words, what would they be?
Hanjironi: Reflective-nostalgia, melancholy, ether.
