hakaribakari wagamama

An Exhibition at Compound Gallery, Portland, OR

HAKARI BAKARI WAGA MAMA features 25 paintings showing a Japanese pop character named Hakari-chan. Hakari is defined as a Japanese word for “scale and balance” and Bakari as a word for “only or just”. Wagamama means “selfish”

The suffix “chan” is an endearing term to address someone who is dear to one’s heart. Kaori Kasai described HAKARI BAKARI as scales in this present world. This show is about Hakari-chan just being selfish. Selfish Hakari-chan (i think kids are kind of selfish.they think they are no.1) is trying to learn how to fit in a society

what are values? what is the most important thing? somehow all scales in this world are not working. hakari-chan is still a child, don’t know much about values
hakari-chan wants to weigh everything on its mind

この頃の私達は時間に追われていて何を優先するかとか利害関係ばかりを気にしているような気がする
そういう癖がついているので友人と接していても頭の中でちらっとハカリが動く時がある。あの友人とこの友人の誘い、どっちをとろう等というふうに

全ての人の命は尊いものだと言うけれど、現実の世界では何かどこかが壊れている感じ

hakari-chan はそんなぶっ壊れた世界をはかりなおそうとしているのかもしれない