EPHEMERA
RISO art zine
"We connect with the skills we perfect."
Verb T
The project was a self-published visual documentation of the graffiti and murals encountered on the journey across the West Coast of Japan during the period of September to December 2022.
The selection of photographs along with illustrations reflected the path from Tokyo to Mine (Yamaguchi) and back - through Shimonoseki, Kitakyushu, Hiroshima, Kure, Okayama, Osaka, Kyoto, Nagoya, and Niigata.
The project tried to capture a glimpse of the Japanese graffiti counterculture, the complex environment that it exists in, on the verge of impermanence rooted in the constant cycle of buffing and surveillance. It also featured the legal murals found in urban areas and wall paintings (individual and collaborative pieces) created during the travel.
EPHEMERA was riso art zine consisting of 56 A4 pages of selected visual elements organized by visited areas. It included illustrations, photographs of pieces, throwups, tags, stickers, legal murals and urban environment and it features models of frequently taken trains on the major San'yō Main Line. Every page was separated into four channels and printed at the Wild Press studio with the following colours: blue, fluo pink, yellow, and black producing a unique visual effect. The risograph printmaking technique was chosen because of its origin in Japanese print culture. The zine was published in a limited amount of 28 pieces.
The premiere of the zine was held at the end of January 2023 at Magiel gallery in Wroclaw, Poland. During the event, the visitors were greeted by the temporary mural painted especially for this occasion and could view the personal collection consisting of zines, lack spray cans, various types of caps and markers, along with train and subways tickets all gathered in Japan.
In addition to the private library, the space exhibited digital prints, photographs, illustrations, and canvas paintings.
Accompanying the EPHEMERA project, two further zines were created based on the materials produced during the travel.
INSOMNIA featured the additional black and white photographs on 40 pages primarily revolving around the throwups and tagging, which are the core of the graffiti movement, intertwined with personal photographs. FLASHBOOK ON TOUR consisted entirely of tattoo designs. The zines were printed with the inkjet technique on the A5 format and bound with glue and duct tape.
Video created by Typo Typ
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I dedicate this project to my friends who supported me and to all people I met during the trip.
Hope to see you all again soon. Words ain't enough to appreciate your hospitality and kindness.
Thank you.
I would like to express my gratitude towards Magiel gallery team for their help with the organization of the event, as well as the guests who visited the space and supported the project.