daynightmare 2024 Calendar ‘Hitori Gurashi’

#daynightmarefall23 "Kurashi" is a word I've loved since I started learning Japanese. It means "life," and describing life using the Kanji "暮" (kurashi) always felt imbued with a certain wabi-sabi beauty. Around that time, I also encountered Shuntaro Tanikawa's "Living Alone." In it, one tidies up daily life, works alone, cooks alone; one's world becomes very quiet, yet there's more time for reflection. Even if answers aren't always found, having that time might be an experience that won't come again. In my room this year, I painted, practiced Japanese, met up with close friends, and spent weekends watching movies. Alongside these wonderful moments, there were also times of low spirits and sadness, yet I continued to do the same things. Life alone keeps turning every day, moving forward quietly, and continuing to "live alone." The calendar's title was decided early on, but I struggled with how to express it. It might sound odd, but my calendars always seem to document the feelings of the previous year. I always hope to experience the new beginning with the same self, letting time layer upon itself. I don't hold many grand illusions for new beginnings; I simply want to embrace them quietly and step into them gently. Thus, for the 2024 calendar, I directly depicted the room of my life that year. This time and space will not exist again, and this is my way of commemorating this present moment. When I came to Japan, I brought a glass I cherished dearly. A few months ago, I accidentally broke it. I was heartbroken at that moment, feeling as if my heart shattered along with it. I don't know how to describe that feeling, but in that instant, I decided I had to capture this moment. I still keep the shards of glass. daynightmare 2024 Calendar ‘Hitori Gurashi’ Two-color Risograph print 116lb Japanese Gampi paper, Sky Blue 297×420mm