Ruca Tairaku
Japan
Are Dogs Truly Free Beings?
One afternoon, I saw a dog out for a walk, and a question rippled through my mind: Are dogs truly free? Undoubtedly, the dog was constrained by its leash.
It wagged its tail and strolled with joy, yet the leash occasionally tugged at it. Dogs, as such close companions which had never captivated my attention in this way before. They are fascinating creatures — companions and friends to humans. In this country, many dogs are under human control, bred and raised and being given proof of pedigree. This confinement cycle had left me an unprecedented feeling which is “unfreedom.”
However, I didn’t sense any exaggerated emotions, like hatred toward humanity or weariness of being dominated. Dogs happily wagged its tail and glanced back at its owner as they passed by me.
Suddenly I realized that I had been projecting my emotion of “unfreedom” onto the dog. I felt like being those people on television who claim that they’re able to understand animal’s thoughts and communicate with them, in fact, I was merely imposing my own ideas onto these creatures.
This situation happened all the time during interaction with other people. I vaguely remember in my childhood, when a pet carer? visited our home and exclaimed, “How pitiful!” My father would angrily drive her away, fearing that she might take our beloved pet.
In the past, I depicted dogs as symbols of “limited freedom” in my artworks. However, I wish to explore a more diverse themes and views in depicting dogs. I hope to deepen my understanding of these creatures and their complex emotional bonds with humans.
I aspire to dedicate my life portraying this purpose constantly from various perspectives.