Jun*Juane
Jun*Juane
“Jun*Juane” is one artist that unites two artists.
Jun Iwasaki, a photographer who has been working on the theme of goldfish since 2006, and
Tae Morikawa, who has been painting pictures on the theme of endangered species and nature, share a common approach to art and present their work as one artist.
Jun Iwasaki is the son of a goldfish shop owner.
Tae Morikawa is an environmental activist and recipient of the Prime Minister’s Award, Japan’s highest award regarding the SDGs.
These two people, who grew up in completely different environments, have their own perspectives on life and are challenged to share their values.
What perspectives should we have in order to create a sustainable society?
Ornamental fish are creatures created by humans.
What people explore and create is a mixture of selfishness and great technology.
Not that it is good or bad, but what is our responsibility for creating it and how should we pass it on to the next generation?
I am engaged in art activities while searching for such unanswered questions.
Like ornamental fish, there are many things in the world created to enrich people.
How should we, who created them, live?
The conflict between the two is endless, but their works have been praised as “healing” and “beautiful”.
Jun
Goldfish Photographer
Real name: Jun Iwasaki
Jun Iwasaki was born at Iwasaki Shoten, an Asakusabashi goldfish shop established 65 years ago.
At the age of 19, she began her career in actress and advertising photography under the tutelage of Akira Ikeya and Toshiteru Katsuta.
Later, fascinated by the history of goldfish since 1584, he started his career as a goldfish photographer at Nihonbashi Art Aquarium in 2006. There, he was in charge of posters, signage, bus and train wrapping, and other publicity.
His goldfish photographs precisely capture the vividness of the goldfish in their tanks, the flow of water, reflections of light, and the beauty of the aquatic world. It is as if he has opened a window to another world, a world of fantasy and mystery. His many healing works, which are vibrant and gentle at the same time, have attracted a large number of fans.
Juane
Resin/Digital Artist
Real name: Tae Morikawa
Born in Fukuoka Prefecture as the eldest daughter of Ryun Asakura, a calligrapher.
From an early age she was exposed to many arts such as painting, clay modelling and theatre. Through the influence of her parents, she also became interested in social and environmental issues and began to depict them in her work.
Her works depicting the “transient lives of endangered species and the collapse of the bubble economy” are particularly popular.
She began working as a resin clay artist in 2004. On the other hand, she is also involved in social contribution activities through art.
One of her activities, her SDG activities in the Uomachi shopping district, won the Prime Minister’s Award at the Japan SDGs Award, the highest domestic SDGs award, in 2018.
In 2021, she came across Jun Iwasaki’s photos and the story of the goldfish and was moved. At the same time, she felt the absurdity of human beings and the wonder of human curiosity in the existence of goldfish. She then began to paint her work with goldfish as her subject, asking herself, “What is a human being?
