What do ancient traditions have to do with cutting edge-digital culture? Everything, as far as Rerunn is concerned. His illustrations, prints, and 3D printed sculptures revolve around Indigenous and traditional cultures from around the world, all crafted with a retro-futuristic vibe, bringing the roots of human cultures along with us into the space age.
Rerunn, whose real name is Runn Charksmithanont, chose his artistic alias with “the idea of bringing back the lost and vanishing tribes and tradition of the world into acknowledgment.” It also just happens to be part of his name. He draws inspiration from indigenous African tribes and ancient Japanese culture, sometimes finding unexpected parallels between very distant cultures.
The Kponiugo piece refers to a West African mask that the Senufo people created in the form of a chimera that literally blows fire. This fire-breathing aspect is what drew Rerunn to the mask, as he wanted to create something unique to celebrate the Year Of The Dragon: “In my mind, a dragon doesn’t relate to Africa at all, so it would be interesting to combine them. I think this is Africa’s interpretation of a dragon.”
Rerunn has also created pieces based on The Surma people from Ethiopia, a 19th-century Japanese sweet-cakes seller, and a Japanese Buddhist priest from 1890. “The thought of the priest carrying this heavy bodhisattva statue to faraway places gives me a sense of pilgrimage and isolation.”
While Rerunn’s illustrations share a similar design and texture as his 3D printed sculptures, and are often sketched in 3D, he sees them as finished pieces in themselves. “I’ve been trained as an architect, so I think three-dimensionally,” he explains. He also relishes the texture of risograph prints and adds a heavy grain to his artwork to create extra physicality and age. And they feature a metallic sheen which makes them look modern but also offers a renewed sense of worth. “These tribes and traditions are being lost in the present day. The use of metallics, chrome, and gold metaphorically raises their value.”
