An Artist of the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

A collaborator from prewar Japan reluctantly discloses his betrayal of friends and family. ...more info on wikipedia

About the artist: Paper collectivefrom the UK

PAPER Collective consists of a group of architecture graduates from the University of Westminster brought together by the vision to create PAPER (Platform for Architectural Projects, Essays & Research), a publication to act as a platform for students and professionals to publish their work and to encourage cross breeding between architecture and other disciplines. PAPER Collective has recently been involved in the Architecture Foundation’s New Windows on Willesden Green project and is currently designing a contemporary Japanese tea house in Fågelsång, Sweden, as well as exploring the role of architecture in the digital realm.

Why this work

“We wanted to work with something symbolic and as the story of the book explores the concepts of imperialism and patriotism we decided to settle with the Japanese flag. We treated the rising sun as a canvas for the main character Masuji Ono, who is an ageing painter. As he paints his memories of post war Japan, his admirable image and his involvement as an adviser for the Committee of Unpatriotic Activities, it becomes clear that his point of view is in fact unreliable and fallible, represented by the cracks in the painting. The paint drips can be read as a part of post war Japan’s struggles as well as of Ono personally as he has lost a son in the war.”