Art for Japan: Ecstasy

Ecstasy is a piece inspired by Takashi Murakami, the Japanese artist most widely known for his CD cover illustration on Kanye West’s Graduation album. Influenced by the anime (Japanese animation) culture of bright colours and cute, candy sweetness, his cartoon depiction of flowers and animals show how beauty can sprout out of any form of ugliness.

In contrast to Murakami’s work, Ecstasy is about the ugly becoming uglier in a beautiful illusion.

A tsunami caused by a 9.0 magnitude earthquake in Sendai, Japan caused millions of people to lose family, friends, and homes. Ecstasy shows a colourful tsunami that has engulfed everything in its path and has left no trace of human existence. A mutated bear monster emerges from the murky waters.

The bear addresses how the media tends to exaggerate and manipulate the truth, sugar-coating the reality that is ugly and unbearable to see. It symbolizes the hypnotizing influence the media has on us, pulling us into a distorted world of lies.

2011 © miisunderstood (Mariah Llanes)
Acrylic on canvas
3’ x 5’