We stumbled upon an exhibition of Hideaki Anno’s works by chance yesterday, while we were visiting the Zenko-ji shrine in Nagano
Hideaki Anno, to the uninformed, like myself, is the creator of Evangelion, Daicon , and director /producer of the Shin Kamen Rider, Shin ultraman and Shin Godzilla movies. In other words, he is a biiiiig name in anime, according to my son, who was not too impressed by his mother’s lack of knowledge.
The exhibition showcased his works from the earliest project which he had created for a competition, to his most recent. What struck me was his unbridled creativity, and his ability to think outside the box, while paying meticulous attention to details, which was evident in his drawings. His seemingly simple doodles were transformed into masterpieces which went on to gain international recognition and for him, fame. I couldn’t help but notice an air of melancholy, however, and, after seeing one poster, in particular, I asked my son if Hideaki was depressed. “ Oh, yes”. He said. “ In fact most of his best works were produced during his depressive episodes, such as Evangelion “. The poster in question touched on humiliation and hurtful words.Which made me wonder; were these words directed at him? Was he a victim of verbal, and possibly, emotional abuse? I will have to read that up. What is clear is that he turned to his art during these dark moments and produced masterpieces, enjoyed by thousands if not million, around the world.
Incidentally, he was expelled by Osaka university for not paying his fees, according to my son.
That exhibition taught me two things :
Creativity, if nurtured and encouraged, can lead to great things. Many parents frown upon anything “ non academic”, but what is academia ? Is it just maths and science ? How about creative writing, music, drawing and sports, to name a few ? Are those who are not good or interested in maths and science doomed to a life of failure ? While it is undeniable that some knowledge in maths and science is important, for example calculations ( not calculus)to enable to manage expenses and other stuff, as well as to know that the earth is round ( though some may dispute), basic biology ( so we don’t get duped by scammers cashing in on our ignorance ), physics ( don’t go touching live wires or using your hairdryer in the bathtub now if you don’t want to get fried ), and chemistry ( to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning in your car, for example), not all of us require quantum physics or knowledge of complex chemical equations . Likewise, many of us scientists, myself included, have limited creativity, and can’t draw to save our lives . Acquisition of knowledge should be a lifelong endeavour and once can only do that if one is interested in something. The subject matter may change from time to time, and that’s ok. One could be a qualified doctor, specialising in a field, but also have an interest in music and be an accomplished musician. During the recent World congress in Paediatric Cardiology and and cardiac surgery, I discovered a number of American paediatric cardiologists, cardiac surgeons etc were accomplished musicians, performing in ensembles etc,
