If Japanese aesthetics was a family, then the art style of Ero guro would be the black eye liner- wearing and punk-blasting teenage rebel, who would have its conservative and traditional parents—wabi and sabi, banging their heads in frustration. It’s the metaphorical middle finger held up to the establishment, a counter-cultural bomb that shook the foundations of traditional Japanese society.

Like a perverse and shameful stain on the family tree, Ero guro has continued to crawl under the skin of traditionalists, and challenged the often shallow portrayal of Japanese art, as a solely peaceful and meditative practice. Often referencing disturbing and deviant themes of bondage, mutilation and torture, Ero guro has given birth to a perverted legacy, that would have even the transgressive Marquis de Sade blushing in its presence.

HEDONISTIC CULTURAL SOUP

Born in the midst of the hedonistic cultural soup that existed during the 1920s of Japan, Ero guro was the incidental love child of conservative, militarist Showa, fused with the unrestrained and headless consumerism of the time. It was the fascination with all that was bizarre, and a somewhat nihilistic hedonism, that provided fertile grounds for such an artistic movement to blossom.

While the 1920s was the time period in which it first evolved, into an approximation of the twisted behemoth that it is now; its roots lie much further back in time, with such artists as Tsukioka Yoshitoshi, who alongside his forays into the style of “shunga” (a form of Japanese erotic art that was displayed in the form of ukiyo-e or woodblock prints), also produced various woodblock prints, that depicted acts of decapitations and violence from Japanese history. Another artist who dabbled with these ideas could also be said to be Utagawa Kuniyoshi, who presented themes of sex and crucifixion.

The movement found a cultural peak in interest during 1936 with the so called “Abe Sada Incident”—when a geisha-turned-prostitute murdered her lover by strangling him to death during sex.

Newspaper photo taken shortly after Abe's arrest, at Takanawa Police Station, Tokyo on May 20, 1936

However this was not the end of it, as she proceeded to cut off his genitals and carry them around with her in a pouch, long after his death. The story generated mass hysteria at the time, with ordinary people deeply fascinated with the story, and artists and writers alike drawing inspiration from the bizarre events that unfolded.

TOSHIO SAEKI

“When I was a boy, I used to show my picture stories to my friends and read them out loud, and they seemed to enjoy it very much. And that’s what I still do now.” — Toshio Saeki

To begin our foray into the depths of some of the most treasured artists who best exemplify the features of Ero guro, the best place to start, is that of the works of Toshio Saeki. The godfather of modern Ero guro, with his illustrations of perverted women and decapitated figures, has long escaped the artistic appreciation of western audiences for many decades. However in recent years his work has garnered attention, through his collaboration with fashion brands like Supreme and Edwin.

His simplistic lines and style, depict humorous events, inspired by the increased sexual expression of the 1960s and 70s. Often, there are characters in his images who are being violated in some perverted form. From the outside this may seem shallow and dark, yet Saeki maintains a strong sense of humour throughout his work, managing to inflect a light-hearted and comical feeling to his images.

SUEHIRO MARUO

“The world is a freakshow for my peeping eye's delight.” — Suehiro Maruo

As an aspiring manga artist Suehiro Maruo first submitted his work to the publisher Weekly Shonen Jump (most famous for series such as Naruto and One Piece) in the 1970s only to have the editors reject his work, deeming them to be too graphic and controversial for their readers. Yet this rebuttal was an eventual blessing, as his gruesome style found it’s audience in the more avant-garde publication of Garo. Often taking place in the early years of the Showa era, Maruo’s work is like the visual expression of your Japanese Grandfather’s sexually explicit diary. Like a viagra-infused nostalgia trip down memory lane, Maruo’s art is something that will make you feel so uncomfortable, unable to shake it from your psyche.

TAKATO YAMAMOTO

A more horror-splashed entry, the work of Takato Yamamoto is the perfect blend of traditional ukiyo-e aesthetics with Western Gothic art. It is this fusion of distinct worlds that Yamamoto himself dubbed as his own unique style called “Heisei Aestheticism”. Utilising a dark colour palette, Yamamoto layers his images with gothic motifs ranging from “Nosferatu” invoking vampires and demonic monsters reminiscent of the imagination of Guillermo del Toro.

SHINTARO KAGO

You may recognise the work of Shintaro Kago from his collaboration with LA beat maker Flying Lotus. In 2014, he created the album cover for Flying Lotus’ record You’re Dead!, littering the project with a series of twisted images, including exploding faces, floating internal organs and dogs being born from the stomachs of dead bodies. Kago has mentioned that as a child he was fascinated with the comedy of the surreal British comedy troupe Monty Python. It is this appreciation for the surreal and the absurd that shines through in his work and the blend of British sensibilities with the forceful artistic vision of his Japanese roots, creates a style that is engaging for both western audiences and fans closer to home.

REBELLION AND CONTROVERSY

To this day, Ero guro has existed as the smoking gun of controversy and rebellion in the world of Japanese arts. From woodblock prints, to the exploitation cinema of the 1960s, and the grotesque horror writings of Edogawa Ranpo, Ero guro has continued to innovate and inspire the minds of artists looking for something outside the mainstream. As a vehicle for the sexually repressed desires of the collective unconscious Ero guro will surely continue in the years to come, what mutated form it will take however is a mystery for sure.

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A COCKTAIL OF BLOOD AND SEX: THE ART OF ERO GURO