宮野かおり
Kaori Miyano
關於
Statement
My own girlhood, when I admired and connected deeply with the characters in girls' manga, has long since passed, and the gap between us continues to widen. I embark on a journey to discover how I can coexist harmoniously with the girls portrayed in my paintings.
Throughout my life, the protagonists of girls' manga and I have intertwined, each maintaining our distinct forms. These girls have always been a source of identification for me, and I've admired them, marveling at their bravery while occasionally feeling overwhelmed. In my pursuit of closeness, I diligently created countless drawings and comics, imitating established characters and even crafting my own original creations. However, no matter how faithfully I replicated their appearances and echoed their words, I could never truly transform into them. The more I painted, the more I realized that I could never fully embody the essence of these girls. In that sense, they are both me and not me simultaneously.
The perplexing reality continuously confuses me, and I find that the canvas of my work is adorned with petals, ribbons, and particles of light, mirroring the turbulence of my mind as it resists accepting the truth. However, in my earlier years, I felt a profound connection, a "synchronization," with the girls, living in their presence. These girls in the paintings exist beyond time and physicality; they remain ageless. I yearn to maintain closeness with them, but the gap between us steadily widens.
As I crossed the threshold of 30, the inescapable truth of aging became apparent. I no longer shared their youthful age, and I questioned whether my depiction of teenage girls was exploitative. This doubt led me to distance myself from them, gradually losing my ability to paint. Criticism and silent pressures labeled girls' manga as juvenile, further discouraging me. However, I later returned to drawing, magnifying the girls and their worlds, bridging the gap between us. My efforts grew alongside the size and complexity of my paintings. The larger figures embraced me, drawing me closer.
Through this, I sensed their amplified power transcending the boundaries of girls' manga, defying the constraints imposed by reality.