apapico Painting “Ghost_becomin”

apapico’s work for SOMSOC ART SHOW 2026.

Year: 2026 / Size: 297(H) × 210(W) mm / Materials: Drawing paper, acrylic, pencil, colored pencil, and varnish
Edition: Unique / Signed: Yes

[Artwork Statement]
AO is an original character I created in 2011. In the 2000s, online illustrators had a culture of creating original characters called kanban musume, or “signature girls”; AO was born from that current.

For me, AO is like another self, onto whom I projected the person I wanted to become at the time. Even fifteen years after her birth, AO continues to exist within me.

The title “Ghost_becoming” carries the idea that the self I was then still exists and will continue to change. I chose AO again as a way of observing changes in internet culture, which still has a great influence on me, and of contemplating my own changes from the past into the future.

[SOMSOC ART SHOW 2026]
SOMSOC ART SHOW is an annual art event organized by SOMSOC GALLERY. It creates new encounters and exchanges through art, offering a place where everyone can engage freely with works of art.

This year's theme is “One Artist, One Character.” Each artist condenses a character representing their current practice and worldview into one A4-sized work. Whether a figure, an abstract symbol, or an embodiment of the spirit, each character is a small universe reflecting the artist's aesthetic and ideas. Diverse expressions gather in Harajuku, where their individual worlds intersect.