Statement

The nature hurt by development and
my own unique culture

I grew up in an area where people believe in the existence of something invisible and where various gods are worshipped. In each home, both a Buddhist altar, for honoring ancestors, and a Shinto altar, for worshipping gods of nature, can be found.

Whenever folktales or ancient traditions were recounted, I was always conscious of the existence of things which couldn’t be seen.

In my works, I make an invisible world manifest by gathering snippets from every day-life experiences and arranging them. The motifs I choose are not necessarily bound by logic.

I select motifs which interest me, incorporating humorous and satirical elements to create scenes of another dimension.

My works draw mainly on my personal memories and experiences. My desire is to express a world suggestive of half-forgotten memories and sensations which exist in everyone’s mind.

My work represents respect and appreciation for nature. I feel that we can not forget that modern people’s lives are built on the expense of nature and creatures.

Livestock animals are not treated at all with their dignity as living things. Human beings accept it as a matter of course to process mechanically and eat them without giving thanks to them. Also, the nature that humans have selfishly destroyed warns us and seems to imply our future. I feel quite uncomfortable about being human.

Still, when I look around, I feel that various natures and creatures lurking in the world on the other side of everyday life live.

Even if they are destroyed, they send me a warm look. I would like to draw a rich and warm world brought by spiritual connections while feeling such symbiosis with nature.

Due to globalization, the traditional culture of each region is lost and homogenization is progressing.

The nature hurt by development and my own unique culture are inseparable objects and the main theme of my work. That is why I am making works with reference to the tradition of Japanese painting expression.