Rica Takashima's Et Cetera

Something that is ordinary to one person can be a strange practice to others. At the same time, that strange practice can be exciting to yet another. Rica wants to express the differences between cultures as something fun and exciting, rather than as creating conflict and friction.

In 1995, Rica started drawing the semi-autobiographical Manga portraying everyday lives of lesbians, in Japan’s premier lesbian magazine at that time. She struggled with her sexuality since her young age, but there were no movies/novels with themed positive lesbian stories even in 1980s. Her questions towards traditional Japanese patriarchal family values and discrimination against LGBT motivated her to start to draw conceptual Manga to public. Her project Manga book was published in 2003 and 2012 in English and Japanese, and Italian version in 2011. After she immigrated to the US with her family in 2008, she collaborates her work with Pride March, NewFEST LGBT film festival, and other diverse organizations.

She also created manga illustrations of We Can Do It! series, which encourages women in diversity.

Manga sculpture, El Barrio Comes All Colors, Shapes and Sizes was funded by Flow15, Randall’s Island park alliance, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, and Made Event 2015

Rica, Miho and Meechan Cat was awarded as Demystifying NFTs by Technology Gap and New York Foundation for the Arts, 2022

Her interactive public installation Aliens in New York has been supported by New York Foundation for the Arts since 2013 which Rica started in Tokyo Harajuku open street since 1994.(The name at the time was Aozora Art/Blue Sky Art)

*****

Sunday, October 20, 2024

Aozora Art: Blue Sky Art 30th Anniversary!（Peek-a-boo Art project）

2024 is the 30th anniversary of Aozora Art(Blue Sky Art/ Peek-a-boo Art project）, which started in August 1994.

Is this really art? I started this interactive art project with the participation of passersby, although I was wondering if it was art or not.

It is an art project that asks not art fans but “passers-by” questions such as what family is, what marriage is, and what gender is. The name “social practice” is now attached to this genre of art project.

If you were something/someone other than yourself, how would you feel and how would things be different from the way you are now? It is a basic concept form that invites people to imagine this.

This year, in celebration of its 30th anniversary, I will hold “Who is Miura? part 2”. “Who is Miura?” is a legendary work that Miura fans went crazy for at the Aomori Museum of Art in 2000.

I will be able to tell you more soon♪

Photo: August 28, 1994

This is the Harajuku pedestrian street, Aozora Art(Blue Sky Art/ Peek-a-boo Art project）, for the second time, maybe.

I remember we held the first season of the art project at Omotesando side of Harajuku.

The artist asked passersby to “Create your ideal family, and get a commemorative photo!” Participants choosed their favorite family members on a family sheet, and a “Peek-a-boo board” to match each family member. Then, we took their family photo with an instant film camera. The participant was asked to sign the photo as a family member on the spot. One photo is given away and one was kept to us for preservation.

This “family menber” was almost a replica of the actual composition of grandparents, parents, and sisters. And they actually took a picture of them with their faces out of that roll's Peek-a-boo boards.

Here are some photos of the Aozora Art(Blue Sky Art/ Peek-a-boo Art project）series, mainly since I came to NYC. Please take a look, thank you!

https://www.nyfa.org/fiscal-sponsorship/project-directory/view-project/?id=RT1194

You can download a pamphlet about Aozora Art(Blue Sky Art/ Peek-a-boo Art project） here, so please take a look.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w3j2c39wrpcahqjeswsuk/RICA_Takashima3.6.pdf?rlkey=a4e3ahtvb4ek5av2angepa43j&st=0z9uajp5&dl=0

1994年の8月に始めたあおぞらアートの３０周年になりました。

これってはたしてアートなのか？と自分でもわからず始めた通行人参加型のインタラクティブアート。

家族とは何か、婚姻とは何か、性別とは何か、などをアートファンではなく「通りすがりの人」に問いかけるアート。今ではソーシャルプラクティスという名前もこのジャンルのアートについた。

自分が自分以外の何者かになったら、どう感じたりどんなふうに今とは違うことがあるのか。それを想像してもらうアートです。

今年は３０周年記念に青森県立美術館での名作「みうらさん？」（2000）の第二弾ができそうです♪近々お伝えできると思います。

1994年８月２８日

この家族写真は原宿歩行者天国　あおぞらアート、2回目かな？？

この日も晴れ。最初は表参道でやっていたっけなあ。

アーティストは「あなたにとって理想の家族を作ってみよう」と通行人に問いかける。参加者は、家族シートに好きな家族構成とそれぞれの家族メンバーに合わせた顔出しくんを選ぶ。そして家族写真を撮る。インスタントカメラで撮ってその場で参加者には家族としての証明サインをしてもらう。一枚は差し上げて、一枚はこちらで保存用にした。

この「家族」は、ほぼ実際の祖父母、両親、姉妹の構成をなぞらえていた。そして実際にそのロールの顔出しくんから顔を出して撮影した。

↓ここに主にNYCに来てからの顔出しくんプロジェクトの写真があります。みてね。

https://www.nyfa.org/fiscal-sponsorship/project-directory/view-project/?id=RT1194

↓ここにあおぞらアートについてのパンフレットがダウンロードできるのでぜひ観て下さいね。

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/w3j2c39wrpcahqjeswsuk/RICA_Takashima3.6.pdf?rlkey=a4e3ahtvb4ek5av2angepa43j&st=0z9uajp5&dl=0

Sunday, October 6, 2024

KAWAII KREATURE FESTIVAL at Brooklyn Children’s Museum

I will be at KAWAII KREATURE FESTIVAL♪

This is a J-Pop art style Halloween event. I will be selling my We Can Do It! series and doing Manga style portrait services. Enjoy the event!

Sunday, October, 27

10am - 6:30pm

Brooklyn Children’s Museum

145 Brooklyn Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11213

Museum Fee: $15

J-Pop 風のハロウィーンイベントです。私はWe Can Do It!のシリーズ販売と、漫画スタイルのポートレートサービスをやります。お楽しみに！

Monday, August 19, 2024

AnimeNYC2024

I will be at AnimeNYC!

Aug. Fri. 23-Sun. 25

Javits Center

Artists Alley E01

I will be with that Erica Friedman.

We will have a special collaborative exhibit “History of Yuri Anime.”

I was working on a thin handmade book until yesterday, but I gave up on it because I didn't think I could finish it in three days. It's now about 24 pages long idea, and I don't think I can finish it. So I will be able to show it at the next time I attend an event somewhere♪

AnimeNYCに参加します

あのエリカフリードマンさんと一緒のブースになります。

特別にコラボ展示「百合アニメの歴史」をしますので絶対に来てね。

薄い本はネームを昨日までやってたんですけど3日では仕上げれそうにないので断念しました。なんか２４ページくらいになっちゃって、これはもう無理だな、と。なので次回のどこかのイベントの参加の時に発表できるようにします♪

Wednesday, July 17, 2024

AniTOMO-con, July 2024

I will be attending AniTOMO con ♪

This is a mini-con run by the Brooklyn youth community. Not all young people who like J-pop culture can enjoy ComicCons, as most ComicCons require an admission fee.

But AniTOMOcon is one of the few ComicCons where admission is free for all.

The venue, Japan Village, has Japanese supermarkets, grocery stores, restaurants, sake breweries, etc., and is a place where you can enjoy a full day of Japanese culture fun. Please come and visit us.

AniTOMOcon

Saturday, July 20, 2024

Japan Village, Industrial City,

934 3rd Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11232

Ani友Conに参加します♪

ここはブルックリンの若者コミュニティが運営しているミニコンです。ほとんどのコミコンが入場料が必要なので、Jpop文化が好きな若者すべてがコミコンを楽しめるわけではありません。だけどAni友Conは、入場無料で楽しい時間が過ごせる数少ないコミコンの一つです。

会場のジャパンビレッジは、日本のスーパーマーケットや雑貨屋やレストラン、酒蔵などもあるし、日本を満喫して1日楽しめる場所です。どうか遊びに来てくださいね。

Wednesday, June 12, 2024

Tachi-Mon Card♪

I received this illustration job from Jun @Kerox Hongo who is my senpai of Tokyo University of the Arts in 2023.

I drew characters for Tachi-Mon Cards in the Tachikawa South Shopping area. It looks like a Pokemon card.

It was a very fun job♪

I created the characters based on the wishes of 14 stores in Tachikawa South area.

Participants in the event could collect the Tachi-Mon cards for each store or shopping block as they walked around the town, and at the final stop, they could play a game with the cards.

I was very happy to see that some card collectors came from far away to collect the cards.

I wonder if some have compiled all the cards.

Which character is your favorite? Let me know!

昨年２０２３年に、東京藝大の先輩 Jun Kerox Hongoさんから頂いたイラストのお仕事です。

立川南口商店街のたちモンカードのキャラクターカードを描きました。ポケモンカードみたいな感じですね。

とても楽しいお仕事でした。

立川南口にある14のお店のご希望に沿ってキャラクターを作りました。

イベントの参加者は各お店や商店街のブロックごとのキャラクターカードを街歩きしながら集めて、最終地点ではカードを使ってゲームもできます。

カードを集めるためにわざわざ遠くから来たカードコレクターの方もいたようでとても嬉しいです。

店舗カード、商店街カードを全部コンプした方はいるのかなあ。

あなたはどのキャラクターが好きですか。教えてね。

#Tachikawa

#立川

#たちモン
#たちモンクエスト

Tuesday, June 4, 2024

Brooklyn Comic Con ♪

日本語は下

I will participate in the Brooklyn Comic Con.

This event is one of the medium sized Comic-Cons that I find very enjoyable in the United States.

This ComiCon is like a toy box of everything collecting we enjoyed as kids.

The games and dancing are so much fun, and it's exciting to watch the attendees having so much fun. It's also nice to do cosplay and panels on a martial arts ring. I think it's only a matter of time before you can't get tickets anymore, so I hope you get to experience it while you can.

Translated with DeepL.com (free version)

BROOKLYN COMIC CON

Artist Ally #J4

June

Sat. 6/8 - 12PM-8PM
Sun. 6/9 - 12PM-7PM

MAJOR R OWENS WELLNESS CENTER
1561 BEDFORD AVE.
BROOKLYN, NY

ブルックリンコミコンに参加します。

このイベントは、私が米国でとても楽しいと思う中規模のコミコンの一つです。

子供の時に楽しかった全部を大人になって全部集めたおもちゃ箱のようなコミコンです。

ゲームもダンスもめっちゃ楽しいし、楽しんでる参加者を見るのもワクワクする。コスプレとかパネルを格闘技のリング上でやるのも良い。ジャビッツセンターのサイズだとこんな楽しいファンイベントのコミコンは無理だと思う。もうチケットが取れなくなるのは時間の問題だと思うので今のうちに体験して欲しいな。

#BrooklynComicCon

#Brooklyn
#NYCevents