The Surreal Art Of Hikari Shimoda - Lost Youth

(Via)

I think artists tend to create some of their strongest work when they tap into issues that resonate with them on a personal level. Those life changing moments leave a deep imprint that need to be exorcised in one way or the other, and for some it's through art. Hikari Shimoda has just recently been making waves with a series that came out after a few years of experimentation with titles including 'Remnants of Children,' 'Whereabouts of God,' and others tackling some rather dark subject matter centered around children.

From what I interpreted following some interviews with Shimoda, the series focuses on visualizing how a child feels following the loss of or abandonment from their parents, and how their fantasy world completely shatters in the wake of such a trauma. Reoccurring visual themes mark these scars, including horns, darkened, dull eyes representing a sparkly eyed child losing their youth and other visual clues. You're left wondering whether this is based off of Shimoda's own personal experience with similar events, and it's incredibly unsettling to think how it must feel just based off these illustrations. Her works are currently being exhibited internationally at various galleries. More of her surreal work after the break.