Tsunagari

2018

Mars Lumograph on Paper

22 x 14'' (about)

 

Tsunagari was created as a gift representing the friendship and partnership between the sister schools ISA, in San Antonio TX,  and 高山にし High School, in Takayama Japan, where it now hangs.

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I sought input from members of the ISA community, including Mr. Freeman and Principal Magadance, regarding the best way to represent this relationship. Although common symbols of peace, such as a globe and people embracing were suggested, I desired something simple yet significant. Therefore, I opted for an illustration of a handshake, framed by the merging skylines of San Antonio and Takayama. However, I faced challenges when designing the Takayama skyline because the city does not have a "downtown" area with tall buildings and skyscrapers like San Antonio. To address this, I researched and incorporated notable landmarks and temples/shrines from Takayama, scaling them to create a balanced effect. The buildings on both sides are progressively taller towards the edge of the paper to ensure they do not overshadow the handshake, which remains the central focal point.