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Artist はちのたしょう sho 8nota

はちのたしょう
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WORKS INTERVIEW EXHIBITIONS

INTERVIEWInterview

Hachi no Tasho

I looked at my life again and realized the existence of "the expression I want to do"

― As a "picture maker", you are still energetically publishing many works, but how did you originally aspire to become a writer?

 
　
"My grandfather was a painter and my father was a designer, so it was common for me to draw pictures and make things out of scrap wood from a young age. When I was in the third grade of junior high school, my father asked me, 'What do you want to be in the future?', and naturally I answered that I was the same designer as my father. After that, he attended a preparatory school and a vocational school to become a designer, and immersed himself in the world of plastic expression.  
　
At first, things didn't go as I wanted, and I was frustrated and frustrated, but one day that frustration turned into fun. I was especially obsessed with the charm of "color expression"."  
　
―You originally started working in design, but what made you start creating paintings like you do now? 
　
"I am still working independently in the design industry, but after about 10 years of experience working mainly with photographic visuals at an advertising production company, I began to have a certain dilemma while enjoying my job.  
　
And I think the main reason why I started to publish works like now was the change in my family environment. I have three children, but when I found out that my second child had a disability, I looked back on my life and thought about my future life. Until then, I had been working from morning to night because of the industry, but I asked myself if I had to continue to work that way even if I looked down on my family.  
　
Also, when I thought about whether I could continue my current lifestyle and leave something for my children, I was convinced that I still had a desire for expression that remained in me."

"Iro of Life" expresses the excitement of natural objects with color

―What is the central theme of your work?

 
　
"I have had several solo exhibitions so far, and the theme of all of them is 'The Love of Life'. These are the words I came up with with that in mind."  
　
―Why did you decide to use the theme of "Iro of Life"? 
　
"My original experience dates back to when I was a preparatory school student. Since then, I have been obsessed with color expression, especially when I draw natural objects such as creatures and plants, and I have felt the beauty of "color" that can be seen from them. It's not necessarily the color as it is, but when you try your best to express it, you can see a completely different color from the object and be moved. In addition to color, for example, when I look at barnacles that grow on the back and body surface of whales, they look like outer space, and I think it's interesting to feel the macro in the micro. That's what I think of as "abundance", and I want to express it on the screen by being moved by something and feeling happy to be alive."

Particular about art materials and media, to pursue better ways of expression

―Certainly, when you look at the work, the expression of light but powerful colors catches your eye. What kind of art materials do you use?

 
　
"I draw by combining various art materials. These include rock paints used in Japan paintings, pigments (pigments) that are the coloring components of paints, acrylic paints, mediums, and gold and silver leafs. I also do the support from the point of making a wooden frame, and then lay canvas and cheesecloth on top of it.  
　
By the way, I choose art materials so that they can be redone during the production process. Originally, I think that Japan painting is a one-shot art material, unlike oil painting, but I am in line with my nature to draw through trial and error."  
　
―So you put a lot of attention to detail in choosing art materials. In particular, the gold leaf in many works is impressive. 
　
"The reason I use gold leaf is because I am Japan, so I wanted to give it a Japanese impression. In some works, gold leaf is used as a ground, and a shape like a white cloud emerges there. Therefore, the gold that appears as the color of the ground in the gaps in the shape of the clouds may look like the "glitter" that is often used in illustration expressions, giving it a slightly pop impression. It's not a definite expression, but I'm deliberately vague."  
　
―Do you have any works that you have a strong attachment to? 
　
"Is it 'Whale' and 'Sunbathing' depicting hippos? Both are large-scale works of size 100 and became the face of a solo exhibition, but I feel that this is a turning point, as if my work has developed further. After these works, I began to place the most importance on the expression of colors that match the motif and the expression that comes from the image.  
　
In addition, we received comments from people who saw these works that their obsession with the eyes is amazing. This is something I realized when I was told, but now I am even more particular about expressing my eyes so that I can express my emotions as a living being."  
　
-Do you have any future prospects as an artist? 
　
"I want to create works in different media based on the world I am expressing as a painting, such as giclee (reproduction), printed on cloth, anime, and expressing the work with sound and words. That's where I can make use of the experience I have cultivated as a designer. If we could create a single exhibition space with a group of works expressed in various media... I imagine that. I want to explore ways to express myself so that people can understand more deeply what I want to express."