Culture of Self expression Bloomed in the Streets

YUKINKO AKIRA

Young people are always enthusiastic about expressing themselves on the streets. A decade ago, there were outdoor performance groups called "Takenoko-zoku," and now, the cosplay enthusiasts have taken over. A culture of self-expression has flowered in response to the long period of relative peace that has been taken for granted in Japan. But now there is a newcomer on the street scene who is catching peoples' eyes. After he picks up a painter's brush and switches on a rhythmic beat, he actually paints pictures while dancing crazily, his brush hand moving like lightning across the paper.

He calls it a "rhythm painting," which can be performed on any street as well as in Harajuku. Dancing to hip-hop or trance music, he gets soaked with sweat even during winter. All kinds of curious pedestrians stop walking and just watch in amazement. His name is YUKINKO AKIRA, a unique artist who was named after the deep snow of his father's home prefecture, Niigata.

YUKINKO feels that snow is very representative of his father's home town, and it recalls images of a baby inside its mother's womb. YUKINKO paints strong and powerful images, but they impart warm and wondrous impressions, making viewers feel like they are enveloped in deep snow. YUKINKO has a fundamental philosophy, "there is love in human relations."

YUKINKO learnt the basics of painting from his father, who is also a painter. He studied hard to enter the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music in order to live up to his father's expectations. He tried six times, but kept failing. Seven years later on his 7th attempt, he finally succeeded and entered the University. Soon afterwards, he became aware that college life was very different to what he had expected. He skipped classes and kept drawing at home. One day when he went outside, something clicked. On a whim, YUKINKO took his paintings and laid them out on the street for people to see.

The number of people looking at his paintings grew along with the size of his canvases. It occurred to him that there must have been something they wanted to see in his paintings. YUKINKO took his music player onto the street, and it was then that he started establishing his own style of rhythm painting. Once the music starts, his body begins moving naturally. While swaying, getting into the groove and acting like a DJ, he begins to paint. His talent was born, and his street performances became part of his everyday life.

"Pictures should be evaluated by the people who view them, not by artists. Evaluation should not be forced," YUKINKO AKIRA says about what he has learnt. Although he endured many difficult times, he kept going until his performances caught the eye of an artist-producer who is now promoting him. With an ambition of self-expression, more young artists who have their own creative talents like YUKINKO will be seen on the streets of Japan.

YUKINKO AKIRA
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