The world according to 時遠季沙
Let me take the liberty of introducing some remarkable artworks of Risa Tokitō 時遠季沙. To be brutally honest, I don't think her work is appreciated by the so-called academism of the art world, though I'm neither an art critic nor am qualified to discuss paintings. This is merely a small collection of Risa Tokitō's highly impressive pieces available in X (Twitter). I only picked up 9 pieces, but there are many more beautiful pieces.
①Title: 稲荷祭り Inari Festival
Posted on 22nd August 2023
The word in a large letters is "Kon", an onomatopoeia of the fox's cry. Inari Ōkami 稲荷大神, is the Japanese kami of foxes, fertility, rice, tea, sake, agriculture and industry, general prosperity and worldly success, and is one of the principal kami of Shintō. Fushimi Inari Taisha ⛩️located in Kyōto is the head shrine of the kami Inari, the most popular shrine in Japan for foreign tourists coming to Japan.
②Title: 式神 Shikigami
Posted on 3rd July 2024
Shikigami is thought to be some sort of kami, represented by a small ghost. The belief of shikigami originates from Onmyōdō, which I have no criticism of but am not particularly interested in. Onmyōdō is a technical system of witchcraft and divination that developed uniquely in Japan, originating from the doctrine of Yin-Yang (陰陽) and Five Elements.
That said, I was literally hypnotized by this particular piece, which is apparently obscure compared to other pieces such as ⑥木花咲耶 and ⑧知己, but so intriguing😲❗
③Title: 結印 Ketsu-in
Posted on 25th November 2024
Ketsu-in (pronounced in Japanese) means making various shapes with the fingers to represent the virtues of Buddhas and Bodhisattvas. The word mudrā मुद्रा is translated to 印相, however, I believe it is acceptable to associate 結印 with mudra. Anyone who practices yoga should be familiar with mudras.
This particular symbol depicted by Risa Tokitō is very unique in the sense that a pentagram (五芒星) is represented in a similar manner of Kamehameha wave (かめはめ波) of Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama (1955-2024), RIP🙏 This pentagram, however, might suggest the Seimei Kikyō (晴明紋 / 晴明桔梗) adopted by Abe no Seimei, an onmyōji, a leading specialist of Onmyōdō during the middle of the Heian Period in Japan, associated with a number of subcultures and cultural appropriations.
④Title: 摩利支天 Mārīcī मारीची
Posted on 3rd November 2024
Mārīcī मारीची 摩利支天 (Marishiten) is a Buddhist deity, as well as a bodhisattva associated with light and the Sun.
The origins of Mārīcī are obscure. She appears to be an amalgamation of Indic, Iranian, and non-Indo-Iranian solar goddesses.
She is also thought to have originated from the Vedic goddess Uṣas (Ushas), the Vedic goddess of the dawn. She also shares some similarities with Surya, the solar god. In her martial or warrior depictions, she shares some similarities with Durga, as both appear with multiple arms carrying various weapons while riding an animal or chariot.
I happened to visit Marishisontendō 摩利支尊天堂 in Zenkyo-an of Kennin-ji temple 建仁寺禅居庵 in May 2024 during my trip to Kyōto.
⑤Title: 麒麟 Qilin
Posted on 12th October 2024
In Japanese, giraffe is translated to 麒麟 or キリン pronounced as kirin. As it's obvious that qilin in English comes from Chinese, qilin is a legendary hoofed chimerical creature that appears in Chinese mythology, and is said to appear with the imminent arrival or death of a sage or illustrious ruler. One might recall a historical drama by NHK in 2020.
⑥Title: 木花咲耶 Konohanasakuya-hime
Posted on 30th September 2024
An exceptional beauty, no doubt.
Wikipedia in English says "Konohanasakuya-hime is the goddess of Mount Fuji and all volcanoes in Japanese mythology", which is just a part of the story.
Being a daughter of Ōyama-tsumi 大山祇神 who is a god of mountains, sea, and war in Japanese mythology, she is a wife of Ninigi-no-Mikoto 瓊瓊杵尊 who appears in Tenson kōrin 天孫降臨 and is a grandson of the sun goddess Amaterasu. Emperor Jimmu 神武天皇 (神日本磐余彦天皇), the legendary first emperor of Japan, is a grandson of Hikohohodemi no Mikoto 彦火火出見尊 (or Hoori 火遠理命), a son of Konohanasakuya-hime 木花之佐久夜毘売.
⑦Title: 業火 Gōka
Posted on 19th September 2024
This is a terminology in Buddhism, and means raging fires of hell, a parable about how bad karma destroys you.
However, I have to add that Risa created this piece to show the secret of the art of firefighting (火遁の術), or Fire Style according to NARUTO, which is a technique in which the ninja skillfully manipulates fire to deceive the enemy, meaning to hide oneself or escape from the enemy.
I think Risa's wonderful point is that it does not feature the ninja depicted in the manga. (I am not looking down on comics. In fact, my elder daughter is a cartoonist.)
⑧Title: 知己 Chiki
Posted on 7th September 2024
Pronounced as chiki in Japanese, this word describes a friend, confidant, or acquaintance who understands you well, and should be used with respect.
This is another particularly impressive work, depicting trust beyond human to human relationship in Heian Period✨
⑨Title: 玄武 Black Turtle-Snake
Posted on 18th April 2024
Pronounced as Genbu in Japanese, it is one of the Four Symbols of the Chinese constellations. It is said to protect Kyōto on the north side, being one of the four guardian spirits that protect the city. It is also famous with Kitora Tomb キトラ古墳 in Asuka Village, Nara Prefecture 奈良県明日香村 discovered in 1983. It has a small stone chamber with the four walls aligned with the cardinal points of the compass, respectively featuring the Black Turtle-Snake Turtle 玄武 of the North, the Azure Dragon 青龍 of the East, the Red Phoenix 朱雀 of the South, and the White Tiger 白虎 of the West.
Last but not least, this⬇️ is the entrance to the world according to Risa Tokitō 時遠季沙:
Header Image Credit: From the header of https://x.com/Xt65JJK9Cl46866, a part of ⑨ 玄武
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