Photo: Brandon Michael Gray
This piece takes inspiration from 1600s Edo (old name for Tokyo) firefighters. Instantly recognizable with full body tattoos and headbands, they are the subject of many stories and plays (such as the famous Kabuki play “The Fight of the Megumi Fire Brigade.")
Here, JUURI painted a Hikeshi girl, but her headband and tattoos are made from lotuses (the flower of Vietnam) since the business she is painted on is a Vietnamese noodle shop. JUURI always likes to create pieces that are true to her Japanese roots, but also take into account the local people and environment.
The Hikeshi is surrounded by four flames. In Japan, four is an unlucky number, since the word sounds the same as the word for “death.” As we are all acutely aware that even the smallest of fires can set ablaze great forests, JUURI hopes this piece encourages people to “erase” the fires of unkind words and negative thoughts before they cause destruction.
Photo: Brandon Michael Gray
JUURI
JUURI is a Tokyo-born, Japanese+American artist who transforms bare walls into powerful, Japanese-themed artspaces. Currently working from Oklahoma City, JUURI’s colourful, figure-driven work is inspired by folklore, kabuki, and historical characters. She hopes her work is an oasis of quiet in turbulent times and that it sparks a resurgence of love for traditional culture among the new generation, both in Japan and overseas.