Standing 26 feet tall at Tokyo’s JR Shinjuku Station is a monumental sculpture called Hanao-San by Brooklyn-based Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama. The mirrored boy stands within a colorful community art park, greeting 3.5 million passengers each day. This public art project, a collaborative effort between Matsuyama and East Japan Railway Company (JR), provides a timeless visual and spatial experience, allowing passerbys to linger, converse and meditate before returning to the bustling streets of the city.
The graphic art that encloses the boy blends the four seasons of ancient Japanese culture with the influence of contemporary art. Images of flowers sprawled across different blocks of color form a visual manifestation of global exchange, while the moving images reflected in the sculpture’s mirrored surface showcase the constant movement and evolution of urban life. Located right outside of the station at Shinjuku East Square, the project is a welcoming gesture for communication, connection and unity.
Take a closer look at Hanao-San and the community art park in the slideshow above.
In other art-related news, Artspace is holding a COVID-19 benefit auction that supports underserved communities, artists and art organizations.
