Funi Ikkei — INTERCONNECTED VIEW

Statement

Funi Ikkei — INTERCONNECTED VIEW
Shinichi Kaneko

My work centers on the theme of interconnectedness. The world exists through the mutual influence of all things, yet these connections are not always visible. I visualize these unseen links using the motif of hands and feet found in shunga (erotic ukiyo-e prints). Intertwined limbs become symbols of the complex entanglements of interconnectedness, serving as an essential element in my visual expression.

The title Funi Ikkei is inspired by the Buddhist term funi (non-duality), which suggests the inseparability of all things. However, this work is not based on Buddhist doctrine. Rather, as I explored the nature of the world through my own lens, I found that the sense of interconnectedness I perceived naturally resonated with Buddhist thought. The idea behind the title is that all things, without division, come together to form a single view—a unified landscape.

We perceive and make sense of the world through various filters: personal experience, memory, emotion, and assumption. These filters give rise to an “imagined reality” that shapes what we see and believe. I am fascinated by how these individual perceptions converge into a web that forms our shared reality.

In this exhibition, by incorporating my own filters into the work, I aim to express both the presence of invisible interconnectedness and the elusive, uncertain nature of reality—through two series: Color and Clouds and Grab at a Cloud.