YUYA HASHIZUME,
EYEWATER ANIMAL VET, CALICO,
Inkjet print, signed and marked AP,
40cm x 40cm

Japanese illustrator Yuya Hashizume creates silkscreen prints and acrylic paintings depicting cartoon figures caught in moments of vulnerability. Hashizume became known for his “eyewater” series, which portrays adolescents with single tears running down their faces. Inspired by manga cartoons like Fujiko Fujio’s “Doraemon” series, Hashizume favors bold lines and simple, flat planes of color, a style that reflects his past work in advertising and which also focuses attention on his subjects’ facial expressions. Hashizume’s illustrations explore themes like the artifice of intimacy and the suppression of sadness in a hyper-paced world.