"F R I E N D" was my project for my DMA senior group exhibition. This piece is my reimagining of two main characters from the 1998 animated film, Akira. The art style and cyberpunk themes of the film served as inspirations for not just this piece, but many of my previous works. Utilizing solely found images from the internet, I composed two prints that represent the characters Tetsuo Shima and Shotaro Kaneda. Using modern clothing and a physical helmet installation, I aimed to modernize and ground the characters in reality.
The helmet was sourced and purchased online. The decals were designed in Photoshop and printed by me on gloss vinyl paper. Colored red tape and packaging tape was used to create the red strip on the visor. The LED display inside was purchased online and can be programmed wirelessly. The display plays a simple blinking animation loop I made. The helmet rests on a stand and the assembly sits atop a black pedestal. Viewers who are familiar with Akira will know the inspiration for the helmet design is Kaneda's motorcycle.
The prints were made entirely of found images online. The piece on the left, the green one, is based on Tetsuo. The piece on the right, the red one, is based on Kaneda. The pieces were printed at 18 x 24 inches and hung in frames behind the helmet during the exhibition. As mentioned before, I aimed to modernize the characters rather than outright copying the character's outfits from the show. Taking in various aspects of the film's characters, including and outside of their fashion, I pieced together two cyberpunk and street inspired characters.
This was my first ever exhibition show and I learned a lot from the experience. I had a great time working together with my group as well as other teams. Although in hindsight I should've printed the digital pieces larger, I think it turned out fine in the end. Overall, I think my project as well as the exhibition as a whole was a success.