Shizico Yi (XX-XXI) - Punch Diary

Punch Diary — 7 Months, Walk On - original work on paper
Ink, Charcoal, Gesso on Georgian oil paper
Shizico Yi
Part of the Punch Diary series, ongoing since 2026

Shizico Yi’s drawing practice centres on immediacy and emotional-driven. Elle aborde le dessin comme un moyen direct de documenter sa perception du monde — chaque trait trace non seulement la forme, mais aussi la mémoire, la présence et la trace émotionnelle. Pour Yi, le dessin devient le contour d'une vie et d'expériences vécues, qu'elles soient observées ou mémorisées.

The Punch Diary series documents the early life of Punch-kun (パンチくん), a Japanese macaque born in July 2025. Widely followed online, Punch’s story—abandoned by his mother and raised by zookeepers, forming an attachment to a surrogate plush “Oran-Mama”—resonated deeply with Shizico's personal childhood memories.
Since Feb 2026, Yi has followed and drawn Punch’s daily development, capturing fleeting expressions and subtle emotional shifts.

Executed on Georgian oil paper, a surface traditionally associated with painting, the works emphasise texture and resistance. Ink and charcoal are used here to heighten the tactile quality of the line, reinforcing the physical and emotional closeness of the act of drawing.

Across the series, Punch’s gestures and presence are rendered with a sensitivity that blurs the boundary between human and animal experience.

Details
Punch Diary — 7 Months, Walk On
Ink, Charcoal, Gesso on Georgian oil paper (thick board) A4 size
Collector Services –
Artist’s Lifetime Warranty for the original painting; the only kind of warranty in the art market provided by the gallery.
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