Traveling Artist

An artist goes where he finds an audience. That is why traveling is a constant companion in Jankowski’s life. In Kyoto, Jankowski seized the opportunity and visited Aska Ryuzaki, a female Kinbaku master running her own erotic night club named “BAR-BARA -the Bizarre-”, frequented mainly by Japanese businessmen.
Jankowski became interested in the Japanese bondage tradition, Kinbaku, sensing a connection to the constraints of his life as a contemporary artist. He asked Ryuzaki to use her binding technique not only on him but also on every belonging he took with him to Japan. She accepted under the condition that Jankowski don a western business suit, but reflecting the women, who are often bound naked or seductively dressed, not wear trousers. Jankowski rose to the challenge and showed up to their “date” only sporting the slightly old-fashioned white underpants provided by the mistress and the top half of a suit. Shortly after, him and his luggage were hanging upside down from the ceiling of Ryuzaki’s establishment, rotating to soft, but festive piano music. The four photographs show Jankowski as a compass needle suspended from the ceiling pointing to the four cardinal directions.
In the video showing the binding process Ryuzaki teasingly calls Jankowski a vain, middle-aged artist, in need to be “taken down a notch”. Feeling very strong and confident about her practice, she speaks about the techniques, styles and traditions of Kinbaku. Talking about masters and schools, she recounts that her learning process started by imitation and adaption and developed into her own unique style. Slowly letting her guard down, she points out the importance of love and respect for the model and the right setting and atmosphere for Kinbaku as a method for artistic and spiritual achievements.