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Artist 佐々木久枝 Sasaki Hisae

佐々木久枝
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WORKS INTERVIEW EXHIBITIONS

INTERVIEWInterview

Hisae Sasaki

The fusion of ink and flowers depicting fleeting life

"Currently, I am focusing on creating works with kintsugi motifs, but before that, I was creating works that fused ink and flowers. I wanted to be able to use brush letters in my design work, so I participated in a calligraphy workshop in 2005. Then, he was impressed by the powerful, powerful, and ability to pursue even more freedom, so he decided to learn calligraphy. I also started learning ikebana, and the idea of creating a work by crossing ink and flowers was the first step in creating × ink flower works."  
　
While working on advertising design as a graphic designer, Mr. Sasaki works as a painter. In his fourth year at university, he studied at the Faculty of Education, and in his fourth year, he wanted to pursue a career in design, so he took art classes. After graduating from university, he got a job at a printing company, where he was introduced to a design company and started his current career as a graphic designer. Although he loved drawing from a young age, he did not graduate from an art club or art school. We asked Mr. Sasaki, who worked on a work full of uniqueness in the fusion of ink and flowers, about the thoughts he puts into his work.　
 
"In works that combine ink and flowers, the appearance changes over time as the flowers wither. Just like a flower gradually withering. I think that the moment of withering is also wonderful, and I express the fleeting life and change through my works. Things that have life grow old and will be lost someday. However, I feel that every moment is special and a magnificent time is flowing. Both ink and flowers are the art of the moment, so I was creating my work thinking that the same time would never come again."

The charm that overflows because of imperfection rather than perfection

"I wanted to try my hand at exhibiting overseas, so I expanded into overseas markets as well. However, since fresh flowers are used, they need to be procured locally for exhibition, which was a challenge. So I tried to collage my work, and it was very interesting. One day, when I was feeling the charm of collages, I saw kintsugi on social media. Therefore, he was inspired by Kintsugi to create a work in which gold paint is applied between the papers. This was the opportunity to start creating works with the motif of kintsugi."  
　
He says that he gets inspiration for his work by watching something such as a movie or a landscape, and by emptying his head and making it clear. From the work that fused ink and flowers, the next subject was a work with the motif of kintsugi. Mr. Sasaki, who focuses on new themes and is even more active, talked about his thoughts on works inspired by kintsugi.　
 
"Kintsugi is a technique of repairing broken things, so the theme is to express imperfection and making it more beautiful than it was. This imperfection comes down from my complex, and I also think that people with gaps and a little eccentricity are more attractive than perfect people. If you live for a long time, you may feel bad or hurt. I would like to cherish the process of taking the time to face and repair the wounds of the past, and accepting my clumsiness and complexes. I think it's wonderful to repair such wounds."

Increasing opportunities for further activity in Japan and abroad

"Looking back on my activities so far, I feel very happy when I finish it, even though I am struggling that I may not be able to do it. Sometimes you do a lot of trial and error, such as coloring the image and thinking about the placement, and you still don't like it for days, and it can take about 1-2 weeks to complete. Then, the memory of what you felt at the beginning may fade. However, it is interesting that the memory fades, and I think the new charm is that my own beliefs and feelings are added more and more, and it becomes something different."  
　
Mr. Sasaki is a person who has the ability to take action, and he is expanding his horizons overseas to realize his dream of confidence. Because they have experience working in both Japan and overseas, there are various differences depending on the country. It was interesting to see the differences in reactions and impressive episodes that Mr. Sasaki talked about in various places. In addition, we asked Mr. Sasaki about his future prospects, including overseas markets.　
 
"Overseas, by exhibiting works that combine ink and flowers, we received a lot of reactions to their rarity. I remember that I was very happy because the American people had a big reaction and it was easy to understand. On the other hand, it was impressive to see the French people seriously looking at the works and facing them. Also, the reaction to the work was rich in words and very artistic. I am currently working on a project with a French person, so I would like to continue to look at the overseas market not only in Japan but also abroad. I've always wanted to work with people overseas, so I'm really happy that that dream has come true. In the future, I would like to further expand the range of expression, such as listening to music at concerts and incorporating that image into my works."