My father worked in design, and through that connection, I had the opportunity to take classes on Japanese painting. One day during a meal, he said, 'Nihonga is interesting,' and taught me all the little details about it with interest. Until then, I had never even thought about learning to draw, but as I listened, I felt my interest growing more and more. Through that process, I learned about art universities and had always loved painting, so I decided to try applying to art universities. However, although I successfully passed the art university, when I first entered university, I strongly thought 'painting = not making a living,' so I was considering working at a regular company after graduation. But this was only true when I first entered university; in reality, I was influenced by the passion of my classmates around me and became deeply immersed in the joy of drawing.

The deciding factor in deciding on my preferred school was Professor Reiji Hiramatsu, who taught at that university. When I heard Professor Hiramatsu talk about him from a classmate at an art prep school, even though it was the first time I had heard the name, something struck me and I decided to apply to this university. In fact, when I was a junior at university, Professor Hiramatsu had the opportunity to critique my paintings, and when I created a landscape painting that gave my all at the time, he praised it highly. At that time, he told me, 'You should pursue the path of a painter,' which was the reason I decided to pursue a career as a Japanese-style painter. The passionate feelings that welled up in my heart at that time still burn within me, and I believe they will never fade away.

It's hard to say for sure that it's "the most authentic to myself"... Even if you feel moved or accomplished the moment you finish your work, thinking, 'I did it all, this is the best work,' when you look back over time, the feeling of 'I could draw better now' often comes first. One reason may be that drawing skills have improved, and also that what I find interesting, what interests me—in other words, what I draw my subjects—is changing.

For painters, the "theme" is extremely important, and many people resolve to keep painting this for their entire life, sticking to it no matter what is told. I believe that is the artist's aesthetic. His mentor, Professor Hiramatsu, was deeply impressed by Monet, whom he met in France, and has continued to create works themed around Japonism. So, maybe it's similar that I'm still searching for themes myself. Because it's something I'll keep drawing for a lifetime, I hope I don't force myself to decide it's this, but that someday I can encounter something that really catches my eye. To that end, I make a conscious effort to gradually visit various places, as if to regain the roughly three years I couldn't go outside due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 There are two things I want to do. One is a solo exhibition. Exhibiting at art galleries is a lot to learn, and I'm grateful that I am constantly invited to keep me busy. However, there are inevitably limitations in location and size, so it's hard to express exactly what you want to draw. Especially large paintings are hard to purchase, so they are rarely exhibited at art galleries. So, I want to hold a solo exhibition where I can display a powerful large painting in a place I like. To do that, I first need to create many works that I am satisfied with, so for now, I am gradually accumulating my work.

Another is holding group exhibitions. About ten years ago, I admired the group called "Yokono-kai," which led to an era of Japanese painters and belonged to Hiramatsu-sensei, and I formed my own group. However, I was young at the time, so I have many things to reflect on, and my activities haven't been able to continue for a long time. I want to create a group where we can gather with people who share our values and feelings about art, discuss honestly, and grow together. I hope that when I hold a solo exhibition, it will also be a place to meet those kinds of people."