2018 has been an incredible for movies. So good in fact, compiling a list of ten films was a tough nut to crack. Plenty of excellent titles were left out. “Roma,” “Sorry To Bother You,” “Loveless,” “Blackkklansman,” “Downsizing,” “Western” and “Climax” all deserve honourable mentions. While summer blockbuster “Mission: Impossible–Fallout” gets a special shout-out for […]
Tag: East Asia
A Korean Twist on Iconic Fine Art: Pitta KKM Tattoos
Art masterpieces get revamped by Korean tattooer, Pitta KKM. From Picasso to Michelangelo to Magritte, from the waves of Hokusai to the temples of Chūta, KKM pulls inspiration from all over, updating their work through the lens of his heritage. “In Korea, there are traditional colors called ‘오방색’ (five direction colors),” he explains. “Blue, white, […]
Seductive Japanese Mask Tattoos by Suzani
“She can seduce any man she wants with her mesmerizing beauty.” Korean tattooer Suzani lovingly describes Tomie, a Japanese horror manga character, and the root of her creative inspiration. “Men couldn’t control their love toward her, so they killed her. Murdered, and buried into pieces. But no matter how many times they killed her, she came back […]
Ten of the Best Films From Japan
So rich has been the history and variety of films from the Land of the Rising Sun that narrowing down a selection of the best—or even of favourites—is practically impossible. Here, then, is something a little more provisional: an eclectic anthology of ten titles which will each amaze, enthral and astonish, and which collectively will […]
Breaking the Taboo: 10 Daring Tattoo Artists From South Korea
In the past several years, South Korea has becoming a powerhouse for great tattoo artists. But technically, their practice is considered illegal in the eyes of the South Korean government. Why is this? The reasoning makes sense, but doesn’t reflect the current state of tattooing. Basically, tattoos are seen as a “medical procedure” that should be performed […]
Hidden Hearts: Creepy Hollowed-Out Dolls by Mari Shimizu
Mari Shimizu is an artist from Amakusa in Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, who creates hollowed-out ball-joint dolls. Each doll is unique in that the contents of their eviscerated torsos reveal different elements of horror and fantasy. In a statement provided to Illusion, Shimizu explains how “We hide our hearts from our families and friends in order […]
Minimalist Tattoos That Say a Lot with Just a Few Lines
The art movement known as minimalism is ubiquitous today, but it only emerged to prominence about 60 years ago. Established in the United States, it initially referred to artworks comprising geometric shapes. This approach, which included painters like Frank Stella, Donald Judd, and Agnes Martin, implores the viewer to respond to “only to what is […]
Erotic Films That Expose Korea’s Dark Side
Nothing penetrates the inner workings of a society’s power structures quite so starkly as its sexual practices – and so, by exposing the relations of the genders and the shifting positions of the body politic, films that focus on the erotic can poke, prod and probe the state of a nation. Korean directors like Kim […]
Death and Fantasy: Paintings by Takato Yamamoto
Note: Contains nudity. Takato Yamamoto paints gothic scenes that resemble erotic nightmares. He calls his work “Heisei Estheticism,” drawing on the tradition of Japanese woodblock prints and infusing them with images (often violent and sexualized) inspired by modern manga. Recurring motifs include sullen-faced women bound in ropes, rotting corpses festooned with vines, and bloodied vampires […]