Experimenting in areas as different as photography and poetry, it is clear that Terayama felt no need to limit himself or put himself in a box. In the ripe age of social media networking, many feel as though they will be taken less seriously, or looked at as unprofessional if they carry more than one career title. Shuji Terayama is a clear indication that exploring different mediums will help one realize their full creative potential, as well as bring artistic fulfillment.

Poet, dramatist, photographer, writer and film director; Shuji Terayama, was one of the most avant- garde and provocative artists to come out of Japan. Born in Aomori, Shuji lived through the Aomori raid during the end of World War II. The air raid killed approximately 30,000 people, leaving his city, and family in pieces. After his Father died, and mother left to work at a military base, Terayama was on his own in a country broken by war. Following a childhood of trauma and tragedy, Terayama began to write poetry and experiment in multiple art related fields. Shuji attended university for a short period of time before dropping out due to illness. Most of the education he received was through working in bars in Shinjuku, talking to people of all sorts, and learning important life lessons from them. Shuji believes, “more can be learned about life through boxing and horse racing than by attending school.” Even to this day, the education system tends to fail students who aren’t academically gifted, so there is little valuable information taught to students who are looking to pursue a path that isn’t considered the norm. With an unconventional style to his work, Terayama played an essential role in the counterculture movement of the mid 1960’s. With the rise of art and self expression, Terayama’s work was a genuine yet brutal way of expressing his feelings toward the post - war society he was living in.

As mentioned at the beginning, Shuji Terayama was a polymath, renaissance man, who was renowned as being multi talented. In 1967, Terayama formed Tenjo Sajiki Theatre Troupe. The troupe was dedicated to producing controversial, avant- garde skits based around societal issues, but was created in an iconoclastic manner - turning many heads. In that year, he also started “Universal Gravitation”- an experimental cinema and gallery, for artists to share their work with one another. Tenjo Sajiki was composed mostly of runaways, outsiders and “creative bums”. The diverse collective was able to shed light on issues they faced by sharing similar thoughts and points of views. Shuji also published an extensive collection of almost 200 literary works, as well as over 20 short and feature length films. Born in the foothills of the haunted Mt. Osore, Terayama absorbed many legends and myths throughout his childhood. As his work progressed into film and theatre, it was clear he drew heavy inspiration from the mysterious and otherworldly creatures rumoured to be near his childhood home. Terayama’s films are notorious for being eerie and provoking. Yet through composition, colour and lighting, He is able to portray these unsettling scenes in a beautiful way. A prime example would be his film; “Butterfly Dress Pledge” from 1974. The opening scene is a young man inspecting a butterfly, in mime- like makeup. After inspecting it for a few moments, he begins to slowly tear it apart. The symbolism Shuji uses can be interpreted many different ways, but in that scene, I believe Shuji Terayama is referencing how quickly something beautiful can be destroyed, if one is careless. The film reminds me of a lucid dream, it’s as if the character is exploring the inner workings of their mind. Filled with strange beings participating in eroticism, blended with vibrant lighting, this film reminds me of a haunting DMT fueled dream.

To me the most refreshing part about Shuji Terayama, are his many labels. Terayama is a beautiful example of an artist whose creativity spans many artistic mediums. Experimenting in areas as different as photography and poetry, it is clear that Shuji felt no need to limit himself or put himself in a box. In the ripe age of social media networking, many feel as though they will be taken less seriously, or looked at as unprofessional if they carry more than one career title. Shuji Terayama is a clear indication that exploring different mediums will help one realize their full creative potential, as well as bring artistic fulfillment. It’s clear that through his work and throughout all mediums, Terayama aims to challenge authority and conventional ways of thinking, leaving an influential impact on whoever is lucky enough to experience his work.