『おいわ・Oiwa』Paper Lantern by Toni/Kezam
Hand-painted on Japanese paper lantern (chouchin) with Nihonga stone pigments and sumi.
Size: 30cm when extended
The Ghost of Oiwa is a story of betrayal, death and revenge. Oiwa was a beautiful woman and wife of ronin Iemon. A lady friend had her eyes on her husband and tricks her into using a beauty face cream which is actually poison. With every application, Oiwa’s face grew more and more disfigured, to the point that her husband grew disgusted by her, all according to this “friend’s” plan. It would make reflect poorly on him If he leaves Oiwa for this reason, so he hires another man to rape her which would render her dishonorable and allow for divorce. The hired man, seeing how hideous she had become, reeled at the sight of her. Oiwa was in a panic at the strange man in her room and went to grab a sword to defend herself. He holds a mirror up to her as she charges him, and she freezes at her monstrous reflection. Overwhelmed, she tries to flee the room but the hired man grabs her (as he was afraid he’d be punished for not completed the job). It is then that she trips and falls onto the sword, right through her throat. With this brutal death, she curses everyone in that house and becomes an onryo (a vengeful ghost).
One form the ghost of Oiwa took was a paper lantern, spilling out her spirit to wreak havoc on those who betrayed her.
Picture 1: Close up
Picture 2: Hanging lantern
Picture 3: Full lantern
Picture 4: Artist’s signature
・
Toni/Kezam is a Spanish tattooer, born and raised in Barcelona. Expressing himself through art from an early age eventually led him to the graffiti scene of the early 90s. In 2003, he began apprenticing at a tattoo studio which further exposed him to the world of various tattoo styles and techniques. 3 years later, he came to Japan for the first time and found himself coming back every year until 2011, when he established residence. Now immersed in the unique tattoo culture of Japan, he drew creative influence from a wide range of Japanese traditional art, from simple customary objects to folklore and legends to scenes of hell and the divine. In 2012, he had the great fortune of learning Japanese Buddhism painting under a Japanese master and has continued to be inspired since.
・
Toni can be reached at kezamtattoo@gmail.com
Hand-painted on Japanese paper lantern (chouchin) with Nihonga stone pigments and sumi.
Size: 30cm when extended
The Ghost of Oiwa is a story of betrayal, death and revenge. Oiwa was a beautiful woman and wife of ronin Iemon. A lady friend had her eyes on her husband and tricks her into using a beauty face cream which is actually poison. With every application, Oiwa’s face grew more and more disfigured, to the point that her husband grew disgusted by her, all according to this “friend’s” plan. It would make reflect poorly on him If he leaves Oiwa for this reason, so he hires another man to rape her which would render her dishonorable and allow for divorce. The hired man, seeing how hideous she had become, reeled at the sight of her. Oiwa was in a panic at the strange man in her room and went to grab a sword to defend herself. He holds a mirror up to her as she charges him, and she freezes at her monstrous reflection. Overwhelmed, she tries to flee the room but the hired man grabs her (as he was afraid he’d be punished for not completed the job). It is then that she trips and falls onto the sword, right through her throat. With this brutal death, she curses everyone in that house and becomes an onryo (a vengeful ghost).
One form the ghost of Oiwa took was a paper lantern, spilling out her spirit to wreak havoc on those who betrayed her.
Picture 1: Close up
Picture 2: Hanging lantern
Picture 3: Full lantern
Picture 4: Artist’s signature
・
Toni/Kezam is a Spanish tattooer, born and raised in Barcelona. Expressing himself through art from an early age eventually led him to the graffiti scene of the early 90s. In 2003, he began apprenticing at a tattoo studio which further exposed him to the world of various tattoo styles and techniques. 3 years later, he came to Japan for the first time and found himself coming back every year until 2011, when he established residence. Now immersed in the unique tattoo culture of Japan, he drew creative influence from a wide range of Japanese traditional art, from simple customary objects to folklore and legends to scenes of hell and the divine. In 2012, he had the great fortune of learning Japanese Buddhism painting under a Japanese master and has continued to be inspired since.
・
Toni can be reached at kezamtattoo@gmail.com
Hand-painted on Japanese paper lantern (chouchin) with Nihonga stone pigments and sumi.
Size: 30cm when extended
The Ghost of Oiwa is a story of betrayal, death and revenge. Oiwa was a beautiful woman and wife of ronin Iemon. A lady friend had her eyes on her husband and tricks her into using a beauty face cream which is actually poison. With every application, Oiwa’s face grew more and more disfigured, to the point that her husband grew disgusted by her, all according to this “friend’s” plan. It would make reflect poorly on him If he leaves Oiwa for this reason, so he hires another man to rape her which would render her dishonorable and allow for divorce. The hired man, seeing how hideous she had become, reeled at the sight of her. Oiwa was in a panic at the strange man in her room and went to grab a sword to defend herself. He holds a mirror up to her as she charges him, and she freezes at her monstrous reflection. Overwhelmed, she tries to flee the room but the hired man grabs her (as he was afraid he’d be punished for not completed the job). It is then that she trips and falls onto the sword, right through her throat. With this brutal death, she curses everyone in that house and becomes an onryo (a vengeful ghost).
One form the ghost of Oiwa took was a paper lantern, spilling out her spirit to wreak havoc on those who betrayed her.
Picture 1: Close up
Picture 2: Hanging lantern
Picture 3: Full lantern
Picture 4: Artist’s signature
・
Toni/Kezam is a Spanish tattooer, born and raised in Barcelona. Expressing himself through art from an early age eventually led him to the graffiti scene of the early 90s. In 2003, he began apprenticing at a tattoo studio which further exposed him to the world of various tattoo styles and techniques. 3 years later, he came to Japan for the first time and found himself coming back every year until 2011, when he established residence. Now immersed in the unique tattoo culture of Japan, he drew creative influence from a wide range of Japanese traditional art, from simple customary objects to folklore and legends to scenes of hell and the divine. In 2012, he had the great fortune of learning Japanese Buddhism painting under a Japanese master and has continued to be inspired since.
・
Toni can be reached at kezamtattoo@gmail.com
