Panel ten - Selected by Yui ODAIRA

The artwork, showing only the sky and the characters “踏切注意” (railroad crossing caution) leaves an impression. The characters stand out more be-cause they are taken from an angle looking up from below.

At first glance, we can't imagine what this work has to do with connections, and the railroad crossing reminds us of disconnection, rather than connections. However, contrary to the surface meaning, this work has the meaning of a "common human act" = "connection" in that all people stop in front of a railroad crossing. Also, when a railroad crossing is open, we can go to the other side of the road, so we can associate it with "connection."

The title of this work is "step in COVID-19 chronicle", and this year everyone was driven crazy by the social situation of the global pandemic of COVID-19. Instead of just living being mindful of the virus, we now have to take a powerful step in to coexist with the virus. By making the title something that people all over the world have in common, the viewer is even more aware of this connection.

Many people will imagine the connections when they see this work. The illustrations of the 12 phones show how phones have changed over time, from the 1900s to today. This shows how important phones have been for keeping people connected.

This work uses bright colors, which makes it a very attractive design. It is also attractive to be able to enjoy the changes in phones from generation to generation at a glance.

The phone, which originally had only a call function, is now equipped with a function as an information terminal, making it possible to connect with various people through SNS and other means.

Smartphones, which are used by many people today, were created to enhance communication between people. However, due to the spread of smartphones, communication may be poorer. We should make good use of smartphones and not forget to connect with people.