The Art of Hikari Shimoda

Enter the enchanting and disarming world of Hikari Shimoda where cuteness and horror co-exist. Inspired by the Japanese manga and anime from her youth, Shimoda's work expresses modern day issues in colourful and illustrative techniques. Often depicting starry-eyed children, she dresses her characters in heroic costumes resembling Superman and magical girls, an anime sub-genre of young girls who uses magic, revealing problems and struggles in contemporary society through a juxtaposition of brushwork, text and collage. Such characters mirror our fantasy heroes represent our adult desire to nurture the children of the world and defend the world we have constructed.