Miyuki Sakai

Miyuki grew up in Tokyo, Japan. In 2017, she tried to study abroad to the UK, and she will complete her bachelor’s degree at Kingston School of Art in 2020. Miyuki eager to understand the worldwide contemporary art and curatorial research and she will be continuing her study at the master’s degree. Miyuki was a web designer for more than ten years in Japan, and Miyuki also created this ‘the collective____ish’ webpage. She interested in the creative work equally intense with the research study. Therefore, she tried to skills up with the photography, Textile print or any creativity during her student life. Miyuki will show the documentary art when she struggled with the COVID-19 between the UK and Japan.

About my work:

COVID-19 damaged our life and the world economy by bringing the shock when we start to discuss how to make our exhibition in early March.

I have the experience between the UK and Japan when the COVID-19 spread out and become a severe problem. Both countries are not sorted it out yet. It is not only two countries problem but also affects this is a pandemic virus problem in the world. My work is a documentary of my modern life and inspired me a lot from the struggled from the COVID-19. It will show by photography or drawing that will sometimes transform into the graphic design.

Before the lockdown, we did the discussion of our exhibition, and we're planning to make the conversation with food every week, but we could not. Also, we had to switch to online exhibition cause of the shut down the University that could not schedule the physical exhibition. It is not only for our course but also all school, college and University struggled, but all we needed to continue the works. We have ever been to experience like this before so we're all ruin this time.

The final project theme and topic also needed to change, but it was sometimes difficult to discuss each other. However, we were trying to positive and encourage independent work and share the ideas. We decided to connect with COVID-19 and food chaos how to makes a problem for people who struggle to buy or live.

When the Lockdown started, I was stayed at my student accommodation room and tried to cook every day. The food is only encouraged to live in positive even if I could chat or text with my friends online. Self- isolation made me sick and sad. I realised how communication with people is essential to life.

We were trying to prepare the online exhibition and other assessment as well. Meanwhile, I decided to back to Japan and got a flight ticket at the end of March. Because I worried about my situation that if the Japanese government decide to restricted admission, I could not back home. This uncertainty situation made me strong fear and stress. Even If I have some risk to back home, I still do want to return to my country. These photos are my document of experience I had never happened before. 

I needed to self-isolation for two weeks that the government suggested to all returnees. Also, I could not use public transport, so I asked my brother who can pick me up from airport.

After my self-isolation, I went to a supermarket and caught some air outside. There is no big change, and people still walk around peacefully. When I went to the supermarket in the UK, there was strictly line a queue to make a social distance. Also, there is a limitation of the numbers could enter inside. But in Japan's supermarket can open no restriction, and people still a short distance from person to person who queues up at the checkout counter.

I felt weird why Japanese is stay optimistic yet. Even if the infected patient increases slowly, It should be prevented by meticulous attention.

My life goes through the UK customary practice without realising it. 

I felt a big gap between the UK and Japan situation and thinking. I thought it relates to utterly different in race and culture background. However, I found my stance is closer to the UK opinion that more severe to consider COVID-19. I thought I have a strong Japanese identity before, but I doubt my Japanese identity was still the same as before when I lived in Japan. The other returner might feel the same as me when they come back to Japan.

Movement

 I drew a monster "Amabie" and developed it for graphic design. This work inspired from ‘#amabiechallenge’ movement in Japan. A Youkai (Japanese Monster) who called ‘AMABIE’ appeared in the sea of Kumamoto prefecture at the end of the Edo period. ‘AMABIE’ predicted a good harvest and plague. The body was covered in scales, and the face had a beak-like mouth and three fin rays. ‘AMABIE’ said “When pandemic disease happens, you should show my appearance of picture for people as soon as possible”, and ‘AMABIE’ returned to the sea.

Following the spread of the COVID-19, people who post illustrations on SNS have become a movement (Saunders, 2020).

Japan has many types of Monsters in mythology or tradition, and they believe that at the local town and area. They sometimes help or create mischief with people. The Youkai is uncertain being, but people still think they exist. It because of people strong influence from Shigeru Mizuki, who is a cartoonist and illustrated the Japanese Monster. Japanese are not godly people nowadays, but their background is quite spiced with stories of the ancestor.

This kind of movement creates an opportunity more to make attention to the root of the problem.

It could make to unite and fight together with an epidemic, and it was come from naturally they want to cheer up for everyone.

A comic artist Mari Okazaki mentioned “When people paint or draw, it tends to calm them down, so people are drawing [Amabie] for both themselves and others. Also, various artists are participating in the fun, which I think is a good thing (Saunders, 2020).”

Ironically, when people face a predicament, they will get some durable power against the problem. The art is also germinated, and we find a different art aspect. COVID-19 makes a big change for the art field, and we need a challenge at the digital world. However, it will represent a dramatic departure from the physical art world.