WARNING: This post contains graphic depictions of displaced, dissected & mutilated human bodies. +18 Only!
The art of Japanese manga artist & illustrator Shintaro Kago is a bizarre marriage between the cerebral, logic-defying labyrinths of MC Escher & the brutally shocking ero-guro masterpieces of Toshio Saeki. He is a uniquely original creative force, freely venturing out to the twisted & unpredictable fringes of our collective unconscious via narrative, drawing & short art videos.
You can discover English versions of Kago's manga on Amazon/comiXology, including his most recent Dementia 21: Vol 2 available Feb 26, 2020
Shintaro Kago is insanely committed to his vision. He has a super-human work ethic which has resulted in his popularity constantly growing despite (or perhaps in addition to) his extremely shocking & thus polarizing artwork. Earlier this year, he had a solo exhibits in Hong Kong at (gallery) & Bangkok at Code Corner Gallery. At these shows, he visits for a few days drawing his signature "Funny Girls" personalized portraits for fans. These commissioned portraits are part of his regular work routine which fans can order from his website, along with limited prints.
Recently, Kago has been creating a series of extremely detailed portraits of girls "deconstructed" in various playfully gruesome ways, reminiscent of the pop dissections by Austrian street artist, Nychos. Partly, a technical exercise in advanced anatomical illustration to elevate his artistic skills & partly a philosophical exploration of identity & self in relation to our bodies, more importantly the perception & treatment of girls in society & the world of art.
"His manga draw us outside of spacetime, spaghettifying our minds through a super massive blackhole of narrative, reconstituting us in an alternate quantum reality."
I don't suppose to fully understand Kago's creative intentions, but from reading his manga it is clear that he is questioning everything & encouraging his fans to go beyond the complacent acceptance of our current perception of reality. He is continually pushing boundaries, of morality, ethics & the limits of meta-narrative, most famously in "Abstraction" where he turns, twists then deconstructs the very panels of the page itself. His stories draw us outside of spacetime, spaghettifying our minds through a super massive blackhole of narrative, reconstituting us in an alternate quantum reality.
"Collecting is studying the meaning of the existence of things." - Shintaro Kago (Fraction)
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Shintaro Kago (駕籠 真太郎)
