Mark Leonard Watts

As a Hero of Nippon
2nd June - 13th June, 2009

Mark’s unique form of photographic self portraiture is as absorbing as it is absurd; we are taken to the heart of Japanese idolatry, pop characters in anime style, forming narratives in all the magic and colour of this addictive cult genre. But all is not as it appears… Mark has seamlessly employed his own visage to skew the imagery. Instantly enjoyable yet intellectually compelling this precise and humorous work is laced with deeper questions and considerations, fleshing out his experiences of Japanese culture.

"In my forthcoming exhibition at Satellite I will seek to establish two characters, a girl and a robot man. I shall use these characters to explore fictions inspired by modern Japanese culture. This series examines the relationship between effeminate kawaii (cute) and the overtly masculine mecha of Japanese manga and anime. The characters will be loosely based on the stereotypical heroes of Japanese society; the idolized bishoujo (beautiful young girl) and, the overworked backbone of the Japanese economic machine, the sarari-man (salary-man). The use of my own face in the work suggests an exploration of the desire to live vicariously through the heroes’ image”.
-Mark Leonard Watts