Æ (XX-XXI) - BUNDLE!! Akira: Kaneda · Neo-Tokyo 1988 – Set of 2 Hand-Finished Artworks (2026)

BUNDLE!! You are bidding on a set of 2 individually hand-finished mixed-media artworks by Æ from the artist’s Japanese Culture Series, inspired by the dystopian universe of Akira and the monumental vision of Neo-Tokyo 1988.

Kaneda · Neo-Tokyo 1988 — Two visions of the city. One future on the edge of destruction.

Each artwork is individually worked and finished by hand by the artist using spray paint and pastel crayons over the original ink-inspired composition. These hand-applied interventions create subtle differences in texture, density, markings and tonal character, making every example a unique variation within an exceptionally small limited edition of only 4.

◉ Set of 2 hand-finished mixed-media artworks — total size 37 × 44 cm; each artwork measures 37 × 22 cm.
◉ Individually hand-finished by Æ using spray paint and pastel crayons.
◉ Very limited edition of only 4 unique hand-finished variations — no two examples are exactly alike.
◉ Each artwork is hand-signed and individually numbered by the artist.
◉ Created on acid-free Hahnemühle rice paper for Sumi-e, traditionally associated with Japanese black-ink painting and selected for its delicate texture and expressive response to ink and mixed media.
◉ Authenticated by an included Certificate of Authenticity with holographic security seal.
◉ Officially registered in the artist’s catalogue with its corresponding individual catalogue/registration ID.

HAND-FINISHED — ONLY 4 UNIQUE VARIATIONS

These artworks are not simply reproduced images. The ink-inspired foundation of each composition is subsequently worked individually by hand, with Æ applying spray paint and pastel crayons directly to the surface.

The process introduces individual variations in marks, textures, tonal density and surface character. Each artwork therefore develops its own physical identity.

With an edition restricted to just 4 hand-finished variations, this is one of the artist’s smallest editions, combining a consistent visual concept with the individuality of direct hand intervention on every piece.

AKIRA — KANEDA · NEO-TOKYO 1988

Neo-Tokyo. 1988. A city suspended between destruction and rebirth.

This set of two artworks explores the visual universe of Akira through two complementary visions of Kaneda and Neo-Tokyo.

In the first composition, Kaneda and his motorcycle overlook the immense urban landscape as an ominous dark sphere appears above the city. Roads, towers and fragmented architecture stretch toward the horizon while the circular form dominates the skyline, suggesting the overwhelming forces that threaten to consume Neo-Tokyo.

The second composition places Kaneda before his motorcycle amid the ruins of the city. Above him, an enormous dark void interrupts the skyline, transforming the familiar metropolis into something almost cosmic. Kaneda appears small against the scale of the event — an individual confronting forces far beyond ordinary human control.

Together, the two works move between movement and stillness, metropolis and destruction, technology and catastrophe.

Rather than reproducing conventional film-poster imagery, Æ reconstructs the world of Akira through the visual language of an imaginary 1970s–80s Japanese underground science-fiction publication.

Oversized Japanese typography, dense halftone screens, cross-hatching, distressed blacks, imperfect registration, print noise and worn archival textures give the compositions the character of forgotten pages recovered from an alternative Neo-Tokyo.

The deliberately degraded monochrome treatment recalls underground manga, Japanese science-fiction magazines, experimental graphic design, photocopied publications and vintage technological documents.

Against this dense graphic environment, Kaneda’s motorcycle remains one of the central visual symbols: speed, youth, technology and rebellion condensed into a machine inseparable from the mythology of Neo-Tokyo.

The result sits somewhere between manga page, underground e-zine, science-fiction poster and recovered urban document — a fragmented visual memory of a future imagined in 1988.

Kaneda · Neo-Tokyo 1988. Two images. One city. A future already collapsing.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Artist and designer Æ (Spain, b. 1977) holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Digital Design and Multimedia Technologies (Barcelona, 2004) and a Bachelor’s Degree in East Asian Studies.

Deeply influenced by Japanese graphic design, science fiction, conceptual art, underground publishing and the visual language of late-20th-century popular culture, he has developed a distinctive monochromatic aesthetic combining contemporary composition with analogue artistic techniques.

His hand-finished mixed-media artworks are characterized by strong black-and-white contrasts, distressed surfaces, carefully selected imagery and direct hand-applied interventions. His work explores the dialogue between light and darkness, familiarity and mystery, nostalgia and imagination.

Æ’s artworks can now be found in private collections in more than 30 countries worldwide, including The Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Every artwork in this set has been individually hand-finished, hand-signed and numbered by Æ, giving the collector not simply another identical example from an edition, but one of only 4 unique hand-finished variations of the work.

* All photographs represent the artworks as accurately as possible. Slight variations may occur due to differences in lighting and monitor settings.
** Immediate shipping after payment, with appropriate insurance and tracking. Please do not hesitate to contact me for any additional information.
*** The frame shown in presentation photographs, if present, is for display and framing inspiration only and is not included. Combined shipping is available when purchasing multiple artworks to help minimize shipping costs.

We are a PRO and TOP seller with 100% positive feedback, so you can bid with confidence. Every artwork is carefully packaged with protective materials and extra care.