Last week I had an amazing opportunity to paint a wall for Pow! Wow! Japan, an event and week long artist residency held in Kobe, Japan. Upon researching the city of Kobe I learned of a devastating earthquake known as The Great Hanshin. The disaster which took place January 17th, 1995 took thousands of lives. Each year the people of Kobe memorialize those lost through candle lit vigils that form Kan'ji for 'Kizuna'. This word translates to bonds or connections between people. This motivated the thinking behind my concept in which I emphasized the ties between elders and youth. For the Roman (English) typography part of the image, I was inspired by playful Japanese packaging and signage. The aesthetic was also influenced by the films of Hayao Miyazaki. Click here to read more about this on Vice's art section.

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Above image & Below Lower Left photo: Brandon Shigeta // Below drone image by: Andrew Tran