Significance of HANAFUDA SHOUZOKU in Blickwinkel Magazine:

Resonance from a European Perspective

The latest issue of the German photography magazine Blickwinkel features a special article on the HANAFUDA SHOUZOKU series by Shinya Masuda.

Several cultural resonances have contributed to the warm reception of this work in Europe.

1. Resonance with the Concept of Impermanence

In German-speaking cultures, the ideas of Vergehen (perishing) and Werden (becoming) form the philosophical and artistic core.

Masuda’s works do not reject decay; instead, they gently capture the spirit and memories that dwell within it, quietly reflecting the transient flow of existence.

2. A Return to Craftsmanship and Spirit

Amidst the digital tide, Europe is witnessing a growing reverence for craftsmanship and embodied creation.

At first glance, Masuda’s work may seem rooted in digital processes—but at its core, it carries the soul of handwork.

As a child, Masuda grew up watching his grandmother craft traditional Bingata dye works, a meticulous process of cutting stencils, layering dyes, and building patterns by hand.

This early experience did not remain a mere memory; it formed an unconscious foundation that now breathes through his creative practice.

The act of cutting, layering, and composing digital photographs mirrors the age-old rituals he once observed—not by imitation, but through a deep, bodily and spiritual absorption of the spirit of impermanence (mujo) that was woven into those traditional crafts.

Thus, whether using cloth and dyes or computers and images, the essence remains the same:

it is not the tools, but the consciousness with which one approaches creation that matters.

Masuda’s work, then, stands as a contemporary inheritance of the spirit of craftsmanship—a quiet continuation of the reverence for nature, beauty, and the delicate impermanence of existence.

3. Universality Beyond “Food”

While many artworks today focus on the vibrancy of food culture or related social issues, HANAFUDA SHOUZOKU seeks to reach deeper—using everyday “food” as a path to approach the roots of existence itself.

This approach carries forward a crucial spirit found in European art traditions, particularly in the wake of Surrealism, where the ordinary becomes a gateway to the profound.

In Conclusion:

HANAFUDA SHOUZOKU quietly embraces three major themes:

the flow between existence and disappearance, the intertwining of body and spirit, and the transformation from the everyday to the universal.

It embodies a gentle but enduring strength that transcends cultural and linguistic boundaries—

a truth that the special feature in Blickwinkel so eloquently illuminated.

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