BECV

The background of this piece is that when I saw my “Abenomask”(a mask sent from the Japanese government/Prime Minister Abe) carelessly tossed aside in my house, the thought that they’re probably also being treated similarly in most houses across Japan crossed my mind. I chuckled at the thought, and that was what inspired the piece (lol). When I actually gathered 100 pictures, they were all each unique Abenomasks!! It’s like the lifestyle and personality of each person who contributed a picture is reflected in each shot. There were even a few people who were actually using the mask. There were a lot of places where the masks had not been delivered in relatively rural areas, and there were also a couple people who had already thrown them away or given them away to people who needed them. Although this is only out of the people I heard from, it was very interesting that there was not a single person who had returned the mask.

Also, each picture is different, but the most common pattern was that there were many people who placed the mask in a mask container (a place like a medicine box). It made me think that the lifestyle of “always having a mask” which had been abnormal before, has already become a part of ordinary everyday life.

I realized again through this project that there are many wonderful people. They all kindly accepted my weird request to “take a picture of your Abenomask” (lol). I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude. Thank you very much.