Nothing lost in translation 2008

Mixed media on Japanese Kozo papers

Size:  each (3.5 meters / 2.5 meters or 98.8" x 142")

MOMAT (Museum of Modern Art), Japan curated by Kenjiro Hosaka 2008
Nature Morte, Berlin, Germany 2010

A series of monumental drawings developed from the exotic, erotic, and neurotic popular Japanese (porno)graphic  Manga comic characters blew into a surreal, out of proportion public overdose to facilitate a dialogue between the subculture of erotica and desire and the dominant projection of Japan’s homogeneous and upright values .

A personal representation and cultural expression externalized through the drawings, aimed to transform public attitudes, spur and increase aesthetic interchange…

Unfortunately, the works got censored in SOMA museum while traveling to Seoul, Korea in 2009 and have never been able to exhibit in India.

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Mithu often uses material as a self-censored, playful escape from the naked eye—subverting perception to expose hidden truths and provoke the psyche. Her exploration with semi-transparent Japanese Kozo paper is a prime example. At Awagami Factory, Japan, she worked with paper masters to create custom pulp from tree bark and organic glue, embedding digital prints into the wet pulp before adding drawing and mixed media after drying.

This translucent skin, painted on both sides, veils “forbidden” imagery beneath an approved surface. When backlit or placed on a lightbox, the concealed layers emerge—quiet acts of defiance against censorship. The works inhabit the in-between, questioning the politics of omission and the unseen.