Japanese Currency: Freeing Femininity 

A fake currency that draws from pop art and dadaism designed to challenge the government and promote gender equality in Japan.

Dadaism and Pop Art emerged during times of social unrest, giving people a way to challenge societal norms. My design centers on a vividly colored Japanese girl with closed eyes, peacefully defying the intense gaze surrounding her. She stands against Japan’s red sun, with a halftone background reminiscent of classic Pop Art. Pink symbolizes femininity, while her posture reflects cultural expectations of silence in the face of injustice. Dada’s influence appears through photomontage and chaotic hierarchy—I placed black-and-white eyes in the corners to represent the intrusive male gaze. Breaking from a rigid grid, I scattered and rotated the word “worth,” provoking the question: What is a woman’s worth?