INDEPENDENT: Freedom is Yours 2020

Made with manga screen tones and colored pencils

Freedom is moving forward. Looking toward the future without being weighed down by the burdens of the past. Always having something to work towards. That is my freedom.

A symbolic representation of my progress in life. During spring of 2020, my time abroad as a student at Kansai Gaidai came to a halt. Through this piece, I reflected on how I was even able to reach that point.

On the right is my high school self holding a Japanese language book, Genki. On the left was my current self, on the way to graduate. The "steps" are inspired by the convenience store chains, Lawson, 7 Eleven, and Family Mart. At the time I left, I never got to see the cherry blossoms. But even so, I was more than determined to return one day and experience them - which I did 3 years later!

This was my submission for Nano's newest interactive project, "FIY Project".

Watch it here: youtu.be/n6yP2lQr-GI

2:31 is where my art piece shows up. My username (Akarui-Sakura) is displayed at 5:19.