In collaboration with East Japan Railway Company (JR), Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama is launching a public art project, SHINJUKU EAST SQUARE at JR Shinjuku Station.
The new landmark is scheduled to be activated on July 19th , 2020 and will be located next to the station’s East Exit.
Tomokazu Matsuyama was born in Japan and is based in Brooklyn, New York. He mostly focuses on bringing together his cultural heritage with his global identity. His works borrow from diverse sources, such as Kano School, a dominant style of painting in Japan from the 15th - 18th centuries, American pop culture, and styles like Abstract Expressionism.
This new project will feature an 8-meter-high mirrored sculpture HANAO-SAN, the boy holding a bouquet soon to greet 3.5 million daily passengers. Tomokazu Matsuyama intends this sculpture as an ode to the urban history of Shinjuku city and as a welcoming gesture for connection, communication, and unity in the era of division. The artist encloses the boy with a graphic inspired land art with an understanding of Japanese heritage, the four seasons and ancient Japanese culture, and the influence of contemporary art. The flowery graphic patterns appropriated from multiple cultural elements form a visual manifestation of urban life and global exchange.
Passengers are encouraged to linger, converse, and meditate in the world’s busiest station according to the Guinness Book of Records.
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