“When Gods Collide” was originally commissioned by @hstreetskateboards as a skateboard design for their Japanese rider @yuro_nagahara. I accepted the assignment because I knew it would be a wonderful opportunity to create an image that would not only be great for a skateboard deck but also as a personal piece for myself. I was excited about working on this because growing up, I lived in Japan for a few years and the Japanese sense of art, design and the culture has always made a big impression in my life and art. The folklore imagery from that country has always captured my imagination especially their Tengu and dragons. The tengu were originally pictured with beaks taking the forms of birds of prey, depicted with both human and avian characteristics. But this feature has often been humanized as an unnaturally long nose, which has become today the tengu's defining characteristic in the popular imagination.
Japanese dragons, like most East Asian dragons, are water deities associated with rainfall and bodies of water. Their fearsome appearance are typically depicted as large, wingless, serpentine creatures with clawed feet. Taking the characteristics of both legendary creatures into account, I thought it would be a great composition to have a divine massive clash between gods of air and sea. In keeping with the folklore vibe, I incorporated a symbol of classic Japanese art into the composition by including into the piece an interpretation of “The Great Wave Off Kanagawa”, by the classic Japanese artist Hokusai Katsushika 1760 – 1849.
“When Gods Collide” is a digital painting offered as an 8”x20” signed and titled open edition, archival, giclée print. It is professionally printed by @hencoreprographics in Asheville, NC on Epson Cold Press Natural 19mil acid free, 100% cotton rag, archival using Epson UltraChrome K3 Inks. It is available in my shop, just click HERE.
Illustratively yours,
-Fian