Artwork by Nagayuki Kojima

[Beauty, though it blooms, is destined to fall. ]

 

Religion and art were once inseparably intertwined and engaged with people.

As people forgot fear and God disappeared, only art remained.

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"The sea of the world, in this world I consider as my brothers,
What waves and winds cause such disturbances?"
— Emperor Meiji

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In just 70 years, the victorious nation began to crumble, and now, with politics and the economy losing their way, we are truly in the age of darkness.

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The moon illuminates the dark world.

A monochrome world emerges under the moonlight.

Monochrome shares a connection with Japan’s ancient ink wash paintings.

Perhaps the darkness of the world is not something that began only now.

No, humanity has always sought the light of hope in such times.

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"The sky above remains unchanged, yet the ebb and flow of life, the changing shapes of the world, do they not reflect this? Even now, the moon shines on the night of the ruined castle." — The Moon of the Ruined Castle, Verse 4

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Through fifteen works, transitioning from the new moon to the full moon, I unearth the forgotten layers of memories.