Uwan

Pen and Ink on paper

Size: A4 297 x 210 mm

 

Above, is the creature know as the Uwan, a Uwan, in Japanese folklore is a disembodied voice that inhabits old abandoned temples and homes. When a person enters one of these buildings, the formless Yokai shouts out an ear-piercing "Uwan!" The voice  is only audible to people inside the building, those outside hear nothing. My response to artist Toriyama Sekien's idea of the Uwan was for the purpose of relevance, I found the description relatable, that part being, "The voice is only audible to people inside the building, those outside hear nothing" I felt as if this creatures attributes where a perfect metaphor for my paranoia of hearing things that weren't there.