Japan has long been a breeding ground for innovative approaches to Western
traditions, like movies and baseball. But, the fanatical embrace with which
Japanese artists have welcomed graffiti has made for a form of graffiti
wholly apart from its Western origins. Photographed by Remo Camerota,
Graffiti Japan captures the culturally unique aspects of Japanese street
art, providing the most complete look at Japan.s contemporary graffiti
scene ever compiled.
Camerota could never have guessed that his first, on-a-whim trip to Japan
would result in him moving to Tokyo and befriending the scene.s most
prolific and talented artists. The more time he spent with them traveling
from city to city, meeting local luminaries, the more photographs he took,
the more excited the artists became about helping Camerota delve deeper
and deeper.
Interviews with KRESS, BELX2, FATE, TENGA, EMAR, SUIKO, QP and many more
reveal how these artists define their work as specifically Japanese, musing
on everything from replicating the calligraphic intricacies of the Japanese
language with spray paint, to foreign influences and national pride. Every
single photograph in Graffiti Japan was shot in Japan, featuring anime and
manga characters, kanji, sprawling legal murals and illegal hidden spots,
all of which comprise this spectacular scene that could not exist in any
other country.
Download File Size:111.31 MB