Souya Handa is an artist and independent curator based in Tokyo, was born in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka, and grew up in Hatsukaichi and Hiroshima.
Handa criticizes Japan's society lacking beliefs or morals, and mainly focuses on the relationship between technology and society based on his background of engineering.
Handa declares "Post-High-Tech Country" concept which reflect the declining economic situation of Japan after its economic miracle supported by high-tech industry after WW2. Handa analyzes Japanese people only aim for technological development without considering about ideal form of society.
On the other hand, Handa focuses on the white supremacy in Japanese people's mind even they are Asian. Handa see this phenomenon critically and create his artworks from the perspectives of both sides of inferior complex of Japanese people and cultural influences coming from the West's Imperialism.
The Future 34 Years Ago (US), 2018
Inkjet print on paper, Edited HTML, 42 x 59.4 cm
The Future 34 Years Ago (JP), 2018
Inkjet print on paper, Edited HTML, 42 x 59.4 cm
The Future 34 Years Ago represents the politics of post-truth era.
These screenshots of fake tweets were created by the artist who edited source codes of HTML.
The syntax of tweets is reference to Newspeak in 1984 by George Orwell.
Abe's fake tweet written in simplified and weird Japanese means same of Trump's one and reflects how Japan's politics influenced by the USA's one.
These screenshots of fake tweets were created by the artist who edited source codes of HTML.
The syntax of tweets is reference to Newspeak in 1984 by George Orwell.
Abe's fake tweet written in simplified and weird Japanese means same of Trump's one and reflects how Japan's politics influenced by the USA's one.
Internet after TV (2018)
CRT, iPhone 5, India ink on Paper, Tripod
installation
CRT, iPhone 5, India ink on Paper, Tripod
installation
Internet after TV is a installation work mainly consists of Japanese calligraphy, a CRT TV and an iPhone.
This work represents the history of media (especially in Japan) that transit from paper as physical and analog one, TV as electric and analog one to iPhone as electric and digital one.
"イ" representing sound of "i" is not only the first character of pre-modern Japanese syllabary but also the first displayed thing in the CRT monitor when it was invented by Kenjiro Takayanagi.
Can people use internet more proficiently than TV?
This work represents the history of media (especially in Japan) that transit from paper as physical and analog one, TV as electric and analog one to iPhone as electric and digital one.
"イ" representing sound of "i" is not only the first character of pre-modern Japanese syllabary but also the first displayed thing in the CRT monitor when it was invented by Kenjiro Takayanagi.
Can people use internet more proficiently than TV?
Specimen of Smartphone (Sony Ericsson SOL11), 2019
Acrylic case, Smartphone, Epoxy, 15 x 12 x 9 cm
Specimen of Smartphone (Sony Ericsson SOL12), 2019
Acrylic case, Smartphone, Epoxy, 16 x 15 x 8 cm
Specimen of Smartphone is a series of sculptures inspired by Damien Hirst's works. Glass or acrylic cases are filled with disassembled smartphones and epoxy.
This work cynically represents not only the end of a era of industry in Japan but also the way how people use Smartphone unintelligently, in other words, primitively, for example, post-truth problem, historical revisionism, etc.
From another perspective, smartphone is like artificial creature because it consists of sensors; camera as eye, microphone as ear, etc.
CLOCKS IN THE SHELL (2019)
Wood, Clocks, Chains, Urethane paint
132.4 x 132.4 x 10 cm
CLOCKS IN THE SHELL reflects suppression in Japan's society.
The clocks, which refer to Felix Gonzalez-Torres's work, represent people in Japan and are unavailable to move freely because they are connected each others with chain.
The box outside of the clocks is an imitation of urushi, which Japan's traditional style of lacquerware, and "souya_h@localhost:~$", which phrase refers to the shell interface in computing, is painted on a side of the box.
The clocks, which refer to Felix Gonzalez-Torres's work, represent people in Japan and are unavailable to move freely because they are connected each others with chain.
The box outside of the clocks is an imitation of urushi, which Japan's traditional style of lacquerware, and "souya_h@localhost:~$", which phrase refers to the shell interface in computing, is painted on a side of the box.
Where did they go? represents the concept of "Japan as a post-high-tech country".
Japan is forced to change its society and industry because the Japan's economic miracle as a high-tech country after WW2 is already ended and the decline of the economy is started.
A question of "High-Tech Country?" is stenciled with red color on the white board made of smartphones by Japanese brands like Sharp.
Japan is forced to change its society and industry because the Japan's economic miracle as a high-tech country after WW2 is already ended and the decline of the economy is started.
A question of "High-Tech Country?" is stenciled with red color on the white board made of smartphones by Japanese brands like Sharp.
Could Internet Kill The VIDEO STAR? represents not only the end of the era of TV defeated by internet but also how internet used by people with primitive way.
The hammer of smartphones, which made by Chinese and korean brands, breaks the CRT monitor, which made by Japanese brand.
The hammer of smartphones, which made by Chinese and korean brands, breaks the CRT monitor, which made by Japanese brand.
"Ceci n'est pas" series (2020)
Spray lacquer on mirror
21.2 x 26.2 cm (Each)
Spray lacquer on mirror
21.2 x 26.2 cm (Each)
"Ceci n'est pas" series consists of artworks with red circles images and phrases starting with "Ceci n'est pas" on cloudy mirrors.
Red circles are symbol of the national flag of Japan, and "Ceci n'est pas", French phrase meaning "This is not" is cited from "La Trahison des images (The Treachery of Images)", painted by René Magritte.
Red circles are symbol of the national flag of Japan, and "Ceci n'est pas", French phrase meaning "This is not" is cited from "La Trahison des images (The Treachery of Images)", painted by René Magritte.
"EAST ASIAN" (2020)
Spray lacquer on mirrors
67.6 x 82.6 cm
Spray lacquer on mirrors
67.6 x 82.6 cm
The number of Japanese who oppose Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 is not small even though they are not white but yellow in terms of their skin colors.
Furthermore, Japanese still holds discriminatory attitude toward Korean and Chinese people.
This work consists of mirrors reflecting faces of viewrs and conveys a concept questining "how different you are from other east asians" if the viewers are east asians.
At the same time, this work shows viewers a fact that each country has each culture and history if they are not east asians and mix up these countries.
There is still western centered view ignoring differences and diversity of asian cultures and simplifying images of aisan people just as dishonest yellow.
Furthermore, Japanese still holds discriminatory attitude toward Korean and Chinese people.
This work consists of mirrors reflecting faces of viewrs and conveys a concept questining "how different you are from other east asians" if the viewers are east asians.
At the same time, this work shows viewers a fact that each country has each culture and history if they are not east asians and mix up these countries.
There is still western centered view ignoring differences and diversity of asian cultures and simplifying images of aisan people just as dishonest yellow.
White Male Cosplay Set (2020)
Installation
Perfomance of White Male Cosplay Set
Photos by Kento Terada
Occidentalism (Cup Noodles), 2020
Paint on Cup Noodles
10 x 10 x 11 cm
"Polytheism" (2020) by Souya Handa
Size available, Mixed media
Size available, Mixed media
The series of Polytheism, Let It Be, Off-White and Escape from Yellow Land treats the problem of white supremacy in Japan.
Japanese people consider western culture as higher one and they want to be like white people. For example, Licca-chan, a series of fashion dolls in Japan, is a French-Japanese girl.
This series has two rules; use acrylic cube; and use banana which represents white washed asian, and is collaboration work with Layla Yamamoto.
Japanese people consider western culture as higher one and they want to be like white people. For example, Licca-chan, a series of fashion dolls in Japan, is a French-Japanese girl.
This series has two rules; use acrylic cube; and use banana which represents white washed asian, and is collaboration work with Layla Yamamoto.
Lost property series is a conceptual artwork and consists of photos which took when the artist finds lost property.
This work is mainly posted on Instagram.
This work is mainly posted on Instagram.
