Hikari Shimoda
Biography
Hikari Shimoda's work sparkles with sweetness while blending enchantment and unease, depicting a world where cuteness meets horror. Based in Nagano, Japan, Shimoda studied illustration at the esteemed Kyoto Saga University of Art and Aoyama Juku School before launching her career as a contemporary artist in 2008. Her first solo exhibition at Motto Gallery in Tokyo marked the beginning of her global presence, with exhibitions in Japan, the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Drawing inspiration from the manga and anime of her youth, Shimoda's art addresses contemporary issues through vibrant, illustrative techniques. Her signature starry-eyed children, often clad in superhero and magical girl costumes, embody a mix of brushwork, text, and collage to reveal societal struggles. These characters comment on the anointment of Jesus Christ as humanity’s savior in Christianity, reflecting our fantasy heroes and symbolizing our adult desire to nurture and protect the world's children.
Following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant disaster, Shimoda's interest in global connections deepened. In her portrait series “Whereabouts of God” and “Children of This Planet,” otherworldly children adorned with Chernobyl necklaces act as blank canvases for countless possibilities. These series merge fantasy with reality, past with future, and life with death, envisioning a world yet to be reborn. The eyes of Shimoda’s characters communicate both their personalities and the artist’s own emotions:
"They are 'anyone' who just exists. So, they could also exist beyond the realm of being children and resonate with anyone who appreciates them. Those children, with their vacant expressions of despair and solitude, mirror the emotions of those who view them. These vacant children are, so to speak, 'cups of my emotions'—vessels into which I can pour my feelings. Their sparkling eyes stare into space, reflecting both light and darkness, while their horns symbolize unspoken emotions like fury and despair in response to the world's injustices."
With each new piece, Shimoda continues her quest for salvation and a deeper understanding of our chaotic world.
