Whenever I’m in Bangkok, my memory evokes two other cities that my life has been closely connected with. I was raised in Tokyo in the 1980's, which was a critical decade in the formation of Tokyo's cultural identity. In the wake of World War II,  Tokyo’s cultural life became heavily influenced by that of the United States. The latter half of the 1980's marked the beginning of the new era when Tokyo’s youngsters established their own lifestyle, fusing both Japanese culture and post-war American influence. 

 

The creative energy of the youth enlivened Tokyo and was primarily visible in the material world where new fashion and art forms began to emerge. This creative energy also found form in the deeper inner processes of a changing social attitude. Subsequent generations have developed these emergent trends which have come to define Japan and are now known 

worldwide.

 

Bangkok of today feels to me like the Tokyo of the 1980's. I see how Bangkok’s youth have fused American and Japanese influences, reaching a point where they can express attitudes and styles in their own distinctive way. They are creative, individual and motivated, but have surprisingly retained traditional values. 

 

The good old days are still visible here, while Tokyo, having reached a period of economic stability, has almost lost this feeling. 

 

I situate myself in Bangkok. This is the cities in which my memory drags me back to the Tokyo of the 1980's. My particular focus is on the youngsters and the ways their attitudes connect the past to the present and will continue to echo into the future.

 

The core idea of my exhibition is to place portraits of Bangkok youth within the same space to create a visual bridge
between them. In addition to these photos, I am going to screen videos that have been cut to mix images of young people from Bangkok.