AMABIE アマビエ The Yokai (#amabiechallenge)
I first saw illustrated images of this character on Twitter, and found out she was named "Amabie アマビエ": a yokai whose image if shown to you, will help you get better during health pandemics! Wikipedia describes it as such;
"Amabie (アマビエ) is a legendary Japanese mermaid or merman with 3 legs, who allegedly emerges from the sea and prophesies either an abundant harvest or an epidemic. It appears to be a variant of the amabiko (アマビコ, 海彦, 尼彦, 天日子, 天彦, あま彦) (also amahiko), otherwise known as the amahiko-nyūdo (尼彦入道), and arie (アリエ), which are depicted as ape-like, bird-like, or torso-less (cephalopod-like), and usually 3-legged." (Image below of an amabie depicted in a wood-block print, circa late Edo period).
And we have entered an era of the global pandemic known as COVID-19 engulfing the world and our very lives, I personally welcome "art" connecting each other, especially in an age of "social distancing".
Looking at the hashtag #amabie on Instagram and Twitter has brought up countless fan art and sculpts interpreting the yokai .. Featured here are just some of whom I have seen on my social streams - from the utter-adorable, to the gloriously macabre!
Originating artists are credited and linked in the IG-image captions, so do click forth to view more of their art on their socials!
Featured above are images found on Instagram, while featured below are via Twitter. I have not asked anyone here for permission to repost their images, and apologise for such shamefulness, with hopefully credit/link-backs would be enough to quell your anger, but would understand if you want me to remove said images (Email me at "toysreviler@gmail.com"). Meanwhile THANK YOU to all artists who have contributed art to this turbulent age we live in now!
Top-left: Art by @cafemari
Top-right: Art by @SKUMSUCK
Bottom-right: View full image on @nutmeg71717
Bottom-left: Art by @FloraSkelechan
Top-left: Art by @bweph
Top-right: Art by @EFY_727
Bottom-right: Art by @kawacchi_kawa
Bottom-left: Art by @jinxland
