Spanish Artist Pejac Creates Politically Influenced Urban Works in Asia

After painting mostly around his homeland and some cities in Europe, Barcelona-based artist Pejac (covered here) recently took off on a tour around the Far East. During his trip, he stopped in Hong Kong, Seoul and Tokyo, leaving his mark in every city. From introducing new images and concepts to recreating some familiar ones, Pejac demonstrates his ability to work in different environments or mediums. Covering various subjects, mostly referring to the places he’s visiting, the new works Pejac has created range from effective window-drawings to sculptural pieces.

While staying in Hong Kong, Pejac was influenced by the turbulent econ-political situation of the region. This is especially noticeable in his conceptual piece, “Oppression,” which was placed in front of the Central Government Complex. Consisting of a paper-made MSN/Hotmail-butterfly trapped in a glass jar, the artist addresses the freedom of speech issues with this simple piece. Another public work he created is “Tagger,” showing a traditional image of a dragon, a symbol of strength and power, tagging a heart sign with flames. Using a flame thrower to create the piece, Pejac gave this mythical creature a new human side, which makes this simple and striking piece stand out in the busy city.

The next stop on Pejac’s tour was Seoul, where he painted his image of “Icarus”. It is an image of a shot down paper plane  addressing the delicacy of the country’s political situation, considering Seoul’s fragile history and present state. Pejac’s piece “Oxymoron” was a spontaneous work that happened on the spot. Painted on an old iron door, he used it’s existing elements to create an oxymoron illusion of curtains being held with a strong lock. Along with these two public works, he also created two drawings on the windows of his hotel room.

Being a big fan of Japanese culture, in Tokyo, Pejac painted an outdoor version of “Seppuku.” This image was used on his first screenprint release, and in this context, it is meant as a “thank you” gesture to the people of Japan. During a visit to the homeland of bonsai (small plantings in a tray), he also created his “Guliver” piece which shows a young boy watering a bonsai tree with a tiny flock of birds flying out of it. Another installation, “Fin Soup,” is a critique to Japanese consumers, who are feeling a major responsibility for the ongoing genocide of sharks. Finally, Pejac’s painted piece, “Everyone is an Artist,” is his witty tribute to the working women of the world, titled after Joseph Beuys’ paradigm. Showing a silhouette of a cleaning lady pouring out a bucket and recreating “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa” by Hokusai, it is another example of Pejac’s clever creativity. Take a look at our photos from Pejac’s Asian tour below, courtesy of the artist.