Q-1. What first inspired you to become an artist?
A. I was good at drawing as a kid. Getting into a regular university seemed like it would take a lot of studying, and I had this simple idea that maybe getting into art school might be easier. At first I was not a serious student, but after graduating, everyone else seemed to drop out one by one, and after I finished school in Japan, I found myself continuing my studies at an art school in Germany. A gallerist who came to see my school exhibition offered me a show, and before I knew it, society had started to call me an “artist.”
Q-2. When did you realize that it was something you could turn into a career?
A. At some point, my work started to sell and I no longer had to work a part time job, but I still don’t have think of it as my “profession.”
Q-3. Has your artistic process changed since you first started creating art?
A. It’s become much slower and I’ve reduced my output. I’ve also reduced the number of galleries that I show at; currently I only have two galleries. Around the 90s, I created at a furious pace, spitting out work, day after day. But after 2010, and experiencing the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, other things became more important than creating work, such as enjoying daily life away from the art scene, traveling, and visiting small communities in regional areas.
Q-4. Has your success as an artist made it easier to create your work?
A. I think I am able to be more assertive with galleries. I’m now able to protect my own pace, discover interests outside of art, and delve into them.
Q-5. Has any aspect of your success made it more difficult for you to create?
A. No. If there were one thing, it would be that there are more and more people who see me as if I’m someone special, and I feel pressure to make sure that not just my work, but I myself am respectable.
Q-6. You incorporate music into your visual works. Who is your favorite music artist, and how do they inspire you?
A. I’ve loved Neil Young’s music since my teens, and I’ve been inspired by his way of life as well.
Q-7. Art can help the viewer see the world from a different perspective, what do you hope a viewer takes away from your work?
A. The ability to feel. I think that for the right viewers, my work can be a mechanism that expands their sensibility and imagination many times over.
Q-8. Are there certain times when you feel more creative than other times? If so, what do you do to inspire yourself?
A. I only work when I feel creative. I am careful not to force myself to create when I can’t.
Translation by Chisato Uno