By JULIETTE SCHOLLER (美 HEAD)
Chapter 12: Art + Horror Event Poster. Illustrated by Juliette Scholler
The event opened with Professor Samantha Landau presenting her academic work on Gothic spaces. She explored how locations are used as motifs to define the eeriness in Gothic literature, and how they are key elements in instilling fear and an air of unsettledness in both the characters and the readers. As in the works of Emily Dickinson and Shirley Jackson, she questions how a place becomes haunted: does the mind affect the space, or does the space affect the mind?
Next was Michael Rhys, a voice actor and storyteller, who shared a story he had prepared for a monthly poetry reading event ,“Drunk Poets See God”. He read us his version of the legend of a leprechaun who awaits at the end of the rainbow - one you would never want to encounter, as he is in fact a demon that brings all but good luck.
He then closed his speech with a message to us all: to reflect on how we all self-censor when it comes to creative creation, and to let ourselves free for self-expression. It was an experience that surely made us all sign up for Audible’s free trial right after and download all of the books he narrated.
Lastly, Hiro Usuda presented her graphic works in Konami’s horror game series Silent Hill. “Sit back and relax,” she said, as she opened her PowerPoint presentation on her work on Silent Hill, which was inspired by the film Jacob’s Ladder and the Stephen King book, The Mist. “It won’t be scary,” she said. However, the visuals she showed were enough to bring goosebumps on top of goosebumps.
Manga drawn by one of the invitees at the event, Hiro Usuda. Reposted with permission from Hiro Usuda (https://twitter.com/hiro_usuda). English translation by Eriko Yamada
To the artist’s delight, the audience looked like a plucked flock of geese.
Her other works showed her versatility as an artist, from illustrating trading card games to drawing manga. Despite the variety in her art, she kept a fantastical and mythic touch unique to her style.
Many thanks to the guests that had kindly given their time to give such amazing talks.
美: A Series of Creative Talks will be waiting for you in its next event « Chapter 13: Art + Superstition » in Spring 2020. (Come for a semester of good fortune!)
Image credit: Alexine Castillo Yap