OBAKE “A” “UN” Ryosuke Harashima 原嶋亮輔 @ryosuke_harashima 日本語は英語のあとに Statement In Japan, there is an animist belief that the soul dwells in old tools that have passed a long time and turns into spirits such as "Youkai" or "OBAKE." Its existence lurks in the darkness of everyday life, sometimes causing fear and sometimes entertaining. This lantern is not an old tool, but it is made by the historic "Kojima Shoten", where the 10th generation are craftsmen in Kyoto. It's rare nowadays, and it's a style in which lanterns are made from bamboo bones to assembling papers and painting in one workshop and go. So, I decided to transform the polite crafted Japanese lanterns, which have been run through a traditional history, into a modern and pop style. It's not just OBAKE lurking in the darkness, but an existence who snuggles up to us as a more sophisticated being. These one‐eyed OBAKE have a meaningful look that originated in ancient Sanskrit culture. The red-eye "A [a]" is the facial expression that is the first pronunciation to make a sound in Sanskrit, which means "truth" and "spirit of inquiry" at the same time. The blue-eyed "UN [hūṃ]" expresses the pronunciation to close the sound, and at the same time means "wisdom" and "nirvana." There is also the idea that describing the beginning and end of the universe is represented by considering the "A" and "UN" as a pair. In Asia, it is a common sight to see a pair of guardian statues with the expression "A-UN" placed at the entrance of temples and shrines. 日本には、長い年月を経た古い道具に魂が宿り「妖怪」や「お化け」といった精霊にへんげするとされるアミニズム信仰があります。その存在は日常の闇に潜み、時に恐怖をもたらし、時には楽しませることもあります。この提灯は古道具ではありませんが、製作している「小嶋商店」は京都で１０代目の兄弟が受け継ぐ歴史ある工房です。今では珍しく、提灯を竹骨から紙張り、絵付けまで一気通貫で作り上げています。その丁寧に一貼り一貼り作り上げられる日本の灯りを現代的でポップにへんげさせました。それは、闇に潜む妖怪ではなく、阿吽像のように私たちを見守ってくれる守り神のような現代のお化けです。 一つ目お化けたちが表す「阿吽」の表情はサンスクリット文化を起源にしています。口を大きく開く赤目の”A”は、「真実」と「探求の精神」を意味し、口を閉じた青目の「UN」は、「知恵」と「涅槃」を意味します 。 「A」と「UN」を一対と見なすことで宇宙の始まりから終わりまでを表しているという考え方もあります。 Photo @nvdg81 #ryosukeharashima#contemporarydesign#collectibledesign#japanesedesign#somewheretokyo#mingei#japanesefolkcraft #contemporarycraft https://www.instagram.com/p/CQz2NzJjZHF/?utm_medium=tumblr
