Other
The connections and triggers that lead to creating a work are truly varied. It can be based on what I was most interested in at a solo exhibition, or on a theme at a group exhibition. Or it can just be a spark of inspiration.
Matoi 2019-
Just as we change our clothes to suit the situation, many of us probably unconsciously change our behavior depending on the location or the person we're meeting. But no matter what clothes you wear or how you act, you are still you.
What kind of clothing do you wear that makes you your "true self"? Is wearing something a false version of yourself? Or do you feel most comfortable and more like yourself when you're not wearing anything at all?
Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner 2020-
The nutrients we take in build our bodies, but I also believe that what we see, hear, experience, and take in are also elements that help build who we are. I also think that by repeating our "image of who we are" every day, we ingest and digest it, and build who we are. If we start to take in a different image, perhaps we will become a different person.
Celestial body
Although not a series, celestial bodies such as the sun, moon, planets, and Earth have appeared many times in my work. Celestial bodies move regularly across the sky, indicating directions and the changing seasons. As well as enjoying the beauty of the night sky, the sun and moon are familiar celestial bodies that are also objects of worship and the basis for creating calendars, and they appear in numerous myths. I have incorporated these into my work out of a cultural interest in them, as well as the commonality that our bodies and celestial bodies are both made up of atoms.
Stagnation and flow
There are times in life when we feel like we are being "suspended" rather than "stopped." But are we really being "suspended"? Isn't it all our own choice? Or are we simply "reacting" to events that affect us?
It can be very frustrating when things "stop" or "retreat." However, looking back, it feels like something is slowly maturing beneath the surface during that process. I liken this state to landscapes and rocks that change over a long period of time.
After God Sleeps 2015
What kind of world would it be if the god who controls this world went to sleep? "What would the world be like if the current circumstances and conditions disappeared?" is a question that arises frequently in my work, not just in this piece.
Ghost 2017-
"I know they seem to exist there, but I don't really know what they really are." When people perceive others, they may only be making judgments about them based on their own perceptions. On the other hand, I wonder what happens when we recognize ourselves, our true feelings and desires. A ghost covered in cloth. This is the image of us wandering around, unable to grasp our true identity. But even so, we can still eat, interact with others, and be happy.
Each cat 2021-
Although I have never kept a cat, I have had the opportunity to paint them several times, including as the subject of group exhibitions. Cats are one of the animals that are familiar to humans. They are seen as members of the family, or as lucky charms called beckoning cats, and sometimes I create works in which "cats that can see the invisible" live with ghosts.
Salmon 2022-
Living in Hokkaido, salmon are a fish that are very familiar to me. The sight of them swimming upstream in groups is truly impressive. Salmon return to the rivers where they were born and raised, risking their lives to complete their life's work of leaving offspring. They do this without instruction from anyone, and without a map. Watching them do this makes me reflect on myself. Do I remember my job? And can I complete it?
Light 2016-
After hearing that "the flame of a candle purifies the place," I started placing it at the entrance to my solo exhibition venue as a talisman. I hope that the flame of the candle will purify the fatigue and impurities that I have carried with me from various places, so that I can spend my time in peace in that place. I also draw it as a lamp to light me when I walk through the darkness, unable to see what lies ahead.
