A two-day exhibition showcasing an array of paintings by death-row inmates kicked off Saturday in Shibuya Ward, Tokyo.
Organized by Amnesty International, the display is an attempt to draw public attention to the veiled agony of prisoners awaiting execution and who the human rights group says tend to be dismissed by society merely as "monsters."
"When inmates are hanged, the government often describes them as 'vicious villains' and unworthy of any extenuating circumstances, which is exactly how the public perceives them," said Osamu Amano, a chief organizer of the event. "So we wanted to do something that will provide a different angle to view these inmates."