• Main Page

• Other IRL Projects

• Katamari Damacy

• Letters to a Young Artist (Xu Bing)

• Very Delta

• Research and Presentation of All That Remains of My Childhood

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons

• Witch Hat Atelier

• The World Ends With You

• Nichijou (anime)

• Saint Young Men (movie)

• Barakamon

• The Man Who Never Threw Anything Away

• Collecting - So Normal, So Paradoxical

• Etrian Odyssey

• Touch Detective

^ You can get the game model rips from this website. I hope the person who uploaded these is having very nice day.

Playing through Katamari Damacy Reroll shaped what my art practice is today. I know that's a big statement, but I really did feel like this game opened up a whole new perspective. I am so grateful this game exists.The game premise is simple - You are a 5cm alien ("The Prince") rolling up "earth objects" into a ball clump (a "katamari"). When the katamari is done, it is sent up into the cosmos to replace a celestial body your father ("The King of All Cosmos") has destroyed in a drunken stupor.It obviously doesn't take itself too seriously. It also feels very cosy. Your collecting spree usually takes place in domestic or town environments. The objects themself are in glorious low poly and are scattered throughout the environment in excess. There are alot of visual gags when it comes to the placement of objects.There is also a collection screen where you can look through all the objects you've rolled up. Each object is can be rotated and has a cute description underneath, written from the perspective of either the prince or the king.I found this website called "noclip" where you can explore the levels of Katamari Damacy (and other games) in your browser! It's so cool!!I first played this game when I was studying fine arts at Elam. At the time, I was becoming unsure about whether art was for me. I knew how to appreciate art, I knew how to write essays about them, but I never found a piece of art that I actually liked. My love of manga and video games wasn't something I felt comfortable sharing back then. Playing through Katamari Damacy, making my way through different environments, it felt like I was walking through an art installation. I remember thinking that if this was an actual installation, I would be able to point at it and say that "That's my favourite artwork!". It felt like if I persued this type of concept and make it my own, there would be a place for me in the "art world".Game developed by Namco.

"It may seem like you are wasting time that could be used for creating art, but you needn't actually worry about this too much. As long as you are a true artist every field that you are engaged in outside of art circles - living and working - will produce treasure, which sooner or later will be used in the creation of your art."

- Xu Bing (pg16)

This book is a collection of 23 letters by established artists written to a fictional "young artist". _{psst psst full pdf here}The quote is from Xu Bing(徐冰)'s letter.I have a bad habit of feeling like I'm wasting time whenever I'm not actively making something. Guilt would cloud my mind and make me unable to enjoy anything. It's comforting to know that no matter what I do with my time, the experience will inevitably feed into my practice.

"...whenever I talk about anything there's always going to be those people that go "You know, there's bigger fish to fry". And I say right here we fry the small fish."

- Delta Work (Very Delta #57 "Are You The Drag Queen Like Me?" (w/ Bob The Drag Queen))

"Very Delta is a luxury public access podcast and Youtube talk show where I look gorgeous, speak extemporaneously, and invite fascinating people to sit on the couch and get Very Delta."This is the the intro for each episode of the podcast.Before the main interview, there would be a segment called "Go Off Delta!" where Delta would talk about minor inconveniences in her life. It could be about the service she recieved at a restaurant, or certain common mannerisms, or people's annoying driving habits.I think "frying small fish" encapsulate my approach to art making pretty well. There are bigger causes and more complex philosophical concepts I could be exploring in my art. In art school, I've been taught that art can change the world for the better. And that may be true. But that's not how I want to utilise my art. I want to make work that's small and personal, to just be for one person. Even if that person is me.

"So many years will be spent searching, studying, classifying. before my life is secured, carefully arranged and labelled in a safe place - secure against theft, fire and nuclear war - from whence it will be possible to take it out and assemble it at any point. Then, being thus assured of never dying, I may finally rest. "

- Christian Boltanski
(The Archive pg25)

I like the idea of objects becoming autobiographical, that one's life can be summed up by the objects one interacts with.To collect is to immortalise the collector.Collections can be also be curated. To discard an object is to discard history. When the collector expires, what remains is likely an ideal history of the self.

The laid back and cozy vibes of the game is just immaculate. If I could emulate even a fraction of it in my work, I would consider it a success.Sometimes, when I have trouble picturing a room layout, I would build it in the game and take photos from various angles.I love all the cute furniture. Mundane objects become these precious little collectables because of their almost hyperreal depiction. Every objects is simplified and slightly oversized. They are presented in their most ideal form.Game developed by Nintendo.

^ Check out these arrangements by Scruffy!

^ And this remix of KK Cruisin' by Mesmonium!

Manga by Shirahama KamomeThis is the most beautiful manga I've ever read. Every page is filled with lush details. Every single page looks like a full illustration.I love how Shirahama uses stray dots and lines to show texture. Rather than using halftones, she uses texture lines to shade and show 3d shapes. Her pen strokes are confident and fluid. She makes hair and fabric look especially luscious.I often flip through the different volumes when I feel stuck or uninspired. I learned hatching techniques by imitating her style.

^ I cannot express how much I love this video

^ the deer incident^tm

Nichijou (日常) is a situation comedy anime. No high stakes, no drama. Just everyday silliness turned up to a hundred. This is the first anime that ever made me laugh out loud.I like the idea of structuring my work as self contained "situations" happening in a single town, rather than an overarching narrative.Original manga by Keiichi Arawi and the anime is produced by Kyoto Animation.

^Intro clip from second OVA

^Cozy clip from movie

^Movie ending song! Sung by the VA for Buddha - Gen Hoshino

Another situation comedy with a silly premise and no stakes.Buddha and Jesus decide to take a vacation in Japan, so they rented an apartment together. Being religious figureheads, alot of the comedy comes from parallels between mundane situations and their mythical stories.It's a very soothing anime. I love the combination of the peaceful guitar tracks and environmental shots.The original manga is by Hikaru Nakamura and the movie and OVAs were animated by A-1 Pictures.

• Main Page

• Other IRL Projects

I got the Clicksplosion clicking effect from this webiste!

I got the music box embed from GLENTHEMES!

I got the game music rips from here!