| Saijin's focus is on the marginalized in society, the invisible people most of us are oblivious to in our blind pursuit of our obsessions. His works force us to relook at our priorities in Life, a veritable critique of the inequality that is perpetuated in every society founded on wealth and greed. Because of the immense injustice done to those in society that lack the means to eke out a living in our rapidly changing world, we have harmed the very people who form our community.
His subjects usually involve the homeless and labourers he meets in the cities he works in. Like the characters in Dostoevsky's novels, he uses his subjects to explore and examine the hurt that we inflict on the poor with our indifference. The scars, sometimes raw and bloody, can be found freshly slashed on the many portraits of these souls. Their eyes, devoid of life, stare blankly into nothingness.
Many of the portraits have brown muddied backgrounds; these seem to allude to the often unsanitary environments his sitters are found in. Yet amidst the overwhelming odds, one always manages to detect a flicker of ember that can potentially save the day. That one tiny spark that careful nurturing will ignite will do wonders to help them get back onto their feet to savour Life again. It is this hope that turns the ostensibly depressing pieces into ones with heroic proportions.
The absurdity of why we do not do the little to uplift the disadvantaged is his greatest indictment against us. Get these memento mori to remind you of the power you have to make a difference and stand in solidarity with them. |
