‘Deluxe’ Tattooed Barbie Doll

‘Deluxe’ Tattooed Barbie Doll “Huelly Kimura”, W100mm x H320mm x D100mm, September 2022.

数年前から、自分が過去に助けてもらった人に因んだ人形を作るようになる。恩返しか？恩の押し売りか？もらった側は困り果るかもしれない。が、生きているうちに感謝の気持ちを伝えることができたのか否か？そういう話だ。

今からおよそ20年前、数年居住していたバリ島から帰国し東京でグラフィックデザイン事務所を立ち上げたばかりでまだ食えない時期（今も対して変わらず）にグラフィックを描かせてくれた旧友Hが今回の「被害者」。

学生時代を共に過ごした友人となると、第三者にはほぼ通じない学園内の身内馬鹿ジョークや当時好きだったバンド、映画、地元ネタなどをモチーフにするのだがこれが実に楽しい。

日々の生活に追われ追い詰められた時こそ一拍置いてこういったものを制作するのが深い心のリハビリとなる。と言うと実に聞こえが良く、小指をおっ立てお紅茶を啜るまるで優雅なブルジョアみたいだが、実際は現実に追い詰められている合間の数分間に少しづつ作業を進めるため、時折集中力が途絶え、結果ミスを起こしてしまう時もある。今回はこのH氏の名前の綴りを間違えてしまった、やっちまった。

「大昔にお前さんの尻拭いを散々やってやったのにオレのところには人形が届かないじゃないか」とあなたは仰る。あなたの名前も私のリストのXX番目に入っていよう、ご安心を。

Several years ago, I started making dolls dedicated to people who had helped me in the past. Is it a way to repay kindness? Or is it pushing my gratitude onto them? Those on the receiving end might find it perplexing. However, did I manage to convey my feelings of gratitude while they were still alive? That's the essence of the story.

Around 20 years ago, I had just returned from Bali after a few years of living there. I had launched a graphic design studio in Tokyo, during a time when I was struggling financially (which hasn't changed much even now). It was an old friend, H, who allowed me to work on graphic design projects back then, and he is the 'recipient' in this case.

When it comes to friends you spent your student days with, the themes for these creations are almost indecipherable to outsiders: inside jokes from our school days, the bands we loved at the time, movies, local references, and such. But it's incredibly enjoyable.

Amid the hustle and bustle of daily life, when things get overwhelming, taking a moment to work on these projects using those themes serves as a deep form of mental rehabilitation. It might sound quite sophisticated, as if one were lifting their pinkie while sipping on tea, just like an elegant bourgeoisie. But in reality, it's a few minutes squeezed between the pressures of daily life, where you try to make progress bit by bit. There are moments when concentration wavers, leading to occasional mistakes. This time, I even misspelled H's name. Damn, I messed up.

You say, 'I've cleaned up after you countless times in the distant past, and yet, no doll has arrived at my doorstep.' Rest assured, your name is on my list, probably in the XXth position.

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