Untitled 

This is an undated painting by the American artist, Ben Shahn. It depicts a figure sitting on a bed in muted and somber tones, holding a text that begins, "I am a fisherman, Aijichi Kuboyama..." The text alludes to the tragic story of the Daigo Fukuryū Maru, a Japanese fishing boat caught in the fallout of a US hydrogen bomb test at Bikini Atoll in 1954. This event was hugely significant in Japan, intensifying anti-nuclear sentiment and raising questions about the ethics of nuclear testing and its impact on civilian populations. Shahn's work often engaged with social and political issues, reflecting his progressive values and commitment to using art as a means of raising public awareness. By connecting this image to the history of post-war nuclear testing, we can examine the ethics of warfare and the impact it has on society, and how the cultural response to it has changed over time. Further research into the anti-nuclear movement would help one better understand this artwork.