NSFW Koyama exclusive: What Is Obscenity? tells the true story of a renegade artist
The life of Japanese artist Rokudenashiko is one in which reality has become stranger than fiction. Known for her manko (vagina) art that includes manko-shaped dioramas (dioramanko), manko iPhone cases, and the world’s first manko-shaped kayak, Rokudenashiko was arrested by the police in July 2014 for “distribution of obscene materials” and imprisoned. The series of events is detailed in her new Koyama graphic memoir What Is Obscenity?: The Story Of A Good For Nothing Artist And Her Pussy, and she employs an adorable art style to highlight the absurdity of her experience.
These preview pages provide a quick introduction to Rokudenashiko and her art, presenting all the necessary background information with thorough detail and a sense of humor. The majority of the book is composed of her manga memoir, but it also contains photographs, text pieces on specific issues, and a discussion between the artist and filmmaker Sion Sono, offering a comprehensive look at the culture Rokudenashiko is creating in and how her art is trying to change antiquated popular opinions put in place to keep women down. It’s a fascinating, entertaining, enlightening graphic novel, and readers can explore the titular question more fully when What Is Obscenity? hits stores at the end of this month.
(These pages are printed in their original right to left format. Start with the panel closest to the upper right corner and read toward the left.)