I created the cover art for Charan-Po-Rantan’s new song, “Mito.”
The song is named after our son, Mito, who was born this January. My wife’s pregnancy went smoothly, but the delivery was extremely difficult. He was rushed to the emergency room, and though his life was saved, his brain suffered severe damage. MRI scans showed extensive injury to the cerebrum with no electrical activity.
At first he needed many tubes to survive, but after several months he can now breathe on his own and drink small amounts of milk. Doctors have warned us he may lose these abilities, but for now he continues to breathe independently.
The name “Mito” comes from the Italian word for “myth.” I chose it myself. His kanji name is “深音”, meaning “deep sound” in Japanese, which my wife gave him.
The song was composed by my wife, Koharu, and first performed on March 8 by her younger sister, Momo. It carries Koharu’s deep love for our son. I am grateful to have been part of this work by giving him an imaginary body through the artwork.
“Mito” has found its way onto YouTube, where it can be heard and seen before its official release on September 18. I would be delighted if you could listen. The video also carries English and Italian subtitles, so that its story may be shared more widely.
Link in bio
Last call!
This piece was originally released as a time-limited multiple edition, as mentioned in its first announcement. Sales were to continue “until I get tired of shipping,” with shipping starting at the end of March 2025.
Now that the time has come, I’ll be wrapping things up at the end of this week. Thank you so much to everyone who has supported this work :))
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In the winter of 2024, Koike acquired a glass plate. Hidden deep in the back of a dusty grocery store in Tokyo, it contained a black and white portrait of a middle-aged man. The man, dressed in formal attire, had white hair, a round face, and a serious expression. There was no information beyond his appearance and expression. The artist, freely interpreting and deconstructing the face, transformed it into an arrangement of grass, flowers, and mushrooms, as if it had returned to nature itself.
Made in Kyoto, Japan
#kensukekoike #ikebana
I did the cover of Daily Telegraph Magazine, “Young and Highly Dangerous”
The source image was generated with AI by @claudiomarcon_ai , the printed images were subsequently destroyed in the making of the work.
Grateful to @telegraph and @miss_malby for the opportunity.
Just started! I’m showing my peeled Satsuma orange in many ways 🍊
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