KODOKU
Kodoku - a Japanese word that describes the solitary state of ones heart; the melancholic longing of warmth and companionship. It is loneliness. Kodoku is not about this world, it is an allusion to another, a distant land, a realm of silent stories and the dwellers of eternal pain. It is an anthology of lonely creatures, the beasts of the beginning and the end. They are those of ancient time, left scattered, confined, alone, and forever cursed to repeat a loop of mental agony. There are the Twelve Keepers, and they are the denizens of the afterlife.
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Contents CHAPTER I
CHAPTER II
CHAPTER III
The Flower: 10 - 13
The Stone: 28 - 31
Th e D o l l : 4 6 - 4 9
The Moon: 14 - 17
The Maiden: 32 - 35
The Poe t: 5 0 - 5 3
Th e Sl u g : 1 8 - 2 1
The Bird: 36 - 39
The Shadow: 54 - 57
The Child: 22 - 25
The Hunter: 40 - 43
The Maze: 60 - 63
The Artist: 66 - 67
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You are dead. You died alone.
Oh, don’t cry! There is no sadness in the afterlife.
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Come with me!
Let me show you...
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TO A
E U P H O R I C
P A R A D I S E
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SEPARATION There you are, in the crack of a giant seed. Before you, the green beast asleep. Red lilies glow the sight of separate paths. “What is it?” You asked. It is one called L E L AYANA , The Never-fading Blood. First of the Heralds, and Watcher of Souls. A lonely flower at the entrance of the maze. “What does it dream?” It dreams of a hollow fantasy; Images itself does not know. It needs no reason, no love, nor faith. What it yearns for no longer take place. All it has, is a loop of trapped mind. But forget the beast, carry on. For your journey has only just begun.
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DELUSION
Look upon you, a misty night. Look at the light, the light above us. There it is behind the clouds - The Sky Fish. Herald of a thousand restless dreams. The Never-reaching Moon. Its name is ATAVALI, the Seducer of Souls, Illusion of things you want most in life. Reflection of wishes and foolish desires. Don’t chase after it. Don’t look at it. Run after it, too long your soul will be lost. Paradise will be lost forever. Yours at least. Now walk along... ...and continue walking.
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RESENTMENT Open your eyes, no more night. Welcome to the Shadow - The Under Realm. Below you, the Herald lurks. It brings upon us the scornful lies, Loathing you, the aboved dweller. OWAKULLU - The Never-chasing slug. It is what you can’t have in life. Ignor it. Move on from it. It’s no longer yours, no longer breathe. One who dwells in the shadow of steps, Forever look up to the filth of men. Crawling under, O’ pity the slug! All it can do is bow before you.
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ABANDONMENT There it is, SHUTOMUTO the tragic child; One who was left behind. Feel the warmth fading its f lesh. Feel the touch, there and gone.
Here it is to bid you goodbye. Herald of those who were left to die. The child who was never loved. Orphan of a creature once so bright. Don’t feel sad for it. Don’t shed tears. It has been here for long, And it will be here much longer. Let’s move on! The dream has ended. Follow me, we head to the Grave. “Whose grave is it?” You wondered. You will see... ... The Keepers await.
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DEVOTION Welcome to the cemetary of life. Before you, a Stone half asleep. In silence it breathes, weak and pale. It is UVI - The Never-moving Stone. First of the Keepers and Devoter of Time. In nights, it waits, patiently still. In days, it hopes, a hope never came. “What is it waiting for?� It waits for a call; a call from God. A God it has never seen; Its false creator. Or perhaps its God is true. Such truth is not your goal, dead one. Your goal is paradise. Those who failed their journey, Left rotten in their lonely graves... ...Unlike yours.
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LOST
It dwells in the ashes of a burnt diary. A creature who can never shed tears. “She” who holds all cruelty of the world. Keeper of those who can never laugh. As her mind’s gone lost, so is joy. Admist this somber valley, she lies. Dying thoughts hold no shape in life. Drifting off, f lesh stripped away. Don’t lose your mind with choices. Walk to me slowly, don’t wake her up. EVALEYA sleeps her faithless soul. Don’t look back, your mind will get lost. Lost in this valley of bones.
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DEJECTION Long ago, there was once a bird. A bird who wished to f ly. One so big, its sky fell far behind. Forever in still, Its death hangs low before it. Dangling in its own temptation, Frozen in desperation. Keeper of the Unyielding Lights. There it is, IKIYIRI the Never-f lying Bird. Prisoner of the eternal cry. One who h a s f a i le d t o r i s e a b ove u s . One who has given up on life. Forever it lives... ...In the moment it died.
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OBSESSION In these cloudy canyons, The red beast howls the sound of grief. In nothingness, it searches, A trail that does not exist. Can you see? The never-catching hunt. TIMALIYA of the fallen blood. One who can never rest behind. “Why is that?” You asked. Because its “prey” keeps running, Running and running, and gone. It chases a thing it does not know what; For a reason it does not know why. The Hunter only knows it has to catch it. It must catch it. For that is its mission and pride. But forget the beast, carry on. The Waking World awaits you.
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GRIEVANCE
Here you are in the realm of kings. Look upon you, the one who seeks. Kneel to it, the Lord of Dolls. Come and see, one who can never breathe. There it sits, on a nameless throne. Show no fear, no love, nor hatred. Speak to it, find us our way. Don’t grieve with it, the envious one. Say its name, “BABELIO.” King of the Breathless, and ruler of none. “Where should I go?” “What must I seek?” You are seeking Paradise. You are seeking Me. Don’t be hasty. Don’t lose faith. For you will see me... ...Very, very soon.
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REMINISCENCE King of the Voiceless. Ruler of the Unspoken Realm. On its threads you walk, Needled with the Rods of Truth. Poor ZONUKIE, the muted beast! The Never-spoken Poet. Ruler of the silenced ones. Through its loops, you see. The rainy days of your fading past. O’ Glorius days! the days you’ve lived. The days you’ve laughed, And the days you’ve cried. Don’t you remember? The peacful silence of your death. Though, no one held your hands. I was there to collect my debt. Oh, don’t mind that. Come now! For the Hidden One is far in the mist.
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ACCEPTANCE Now you are close. Look around you, all’s gone white. Giant stripes across the sky, Fading figure with no eyes. Can you hear? Hidden bells ring their ambient tunes. Somewhere amidst this everlasting fog, The Invisible King walks its aimless days. Lord of the Sightless. Ruler of the Unknowing World. It has no name, no face, nor thoughts. It is the Never-seeing Shadow. Shadow of something once so beautiful, Once alive. The past has no worth in the afterlife. Follow the Shadow. Follow the king. Through this endless fog I wait. Come and see!
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May your Mind return to the sleeping realm. May you Body rest in silent earth. May you walk the never-ending path...
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...And let your Soul return to Me.
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ASCENSION There you are; long, I have been waited. Welcome to the end! Welcome to Me! I am the guardian of the afterlife. Caretaker of those who died lonely death. What is my name, you asked. I am one c a lle d YE T TAL AG A , The Never-ending Maze. I ru le t he world you wa lk . L a s t k i n g o f t h e Na m el e s s Th r o n e . I dwell in your thoughts, Labyrinth of a faithless mind. I gifted your body life, And once Death has granted you her kiss. You shall return to us, return to the maze. Now come to Me, come toward the light. Enter Me; Ener eternity. I am your paradise; an endless dream. Within Me, there is no sorrow, No t ragedy, no lau g hte r nor li fe . There is only eternity, only Me. Now you walk forever, Walk forever in my light.
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1998 - ONGOING
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The Artist
My name is Tony Do. I am a Senior at Ringling College of Art and Design. I have a passion for storytelling and compelling narrative. Hence, my love for illustration. My works are constructed from a sense of melancholic longing. I thrive to explore the aftermath of events, the endings of stories; or most often, a random thought gestated within the context of loss and sorrow. Graphic imagery is nothing but a hollow vessel. It is my responsibility to unveil its unspoken words, to give meaning and breathe life into mere shapes and lines. Therefore, it is an art piece. My thought process dwells in the essence of explicit simplicity. Where shapes and forms are carefully designed with a purpose. Unimportant details are as important as the core concept of an illustration. Successful craftsmanship is when all principles and elements of design coalesce in a mindful composition, and work simultaneously to produce an authentic voice.
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