Japanese Manga- Cultural Exchange and Uncanny Juxtapositions

Bazzell-Smith, Kofi

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132857 Copy

Description

Title

Japanese Manga- Cultural Exchange and Uncanny Juxtapositions

Author(s)

Bazzell-Smith, Kofi

Issue Date

2023

Keyword(s)

• New Media
• Studio Art

Abstract

Manga practice isn’t taught in the US, so I learned Japanese and travelled to Japan to study. My research question is: “What new knowledge could be produced by a thorough investigation of this Japanese form through a Black-American context?” Inspired by Japan’s efforts to globalize via popular culture, my goal is to publish in Japan and pioneer teaching manga production in the US- challenging the Eurocentric hegemony of art education. My image juxtaposes two simultaneous projects. Azuki is a whimsical kid’s story about Rock Paper Scissors. Discourse on Blackness in the academy is often negative and painful. I want being Black to be seen as a fun adventure- Azuki is my appeal. Karasu is a drama about a man dealing with the death of his daughter. I use emptiness to evoke 間 (ma)- a Zen concept meaning space (and time) to reflect that highlights the absence of object(s) as the marker of attention. One becomes aware of what is not there- and contemplates. Contrasting tragic elements of the human condition with joyous whimsicality creates a narrative in the space “between panels”, highlighting the power of intercultural exchange as a vehicle for knowledge production and a gateway to a positive future.

Type of Resource

• Text
• Image

Language

eng

Handle URL

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/132857

Copyright and License Information

Copyright 2023 Kofi Bazzell-Smith

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