InterviewFeatured Artist

Japanese painting
Nozomi Okamoto
Profile
Through the familiar existence of cats, Japanese painter Nozomi Okamoto quietly depicts an ideal world that should be somewhere far away. What is the feeling behind that soft expression? Based on the feeling of longing that he has had since childhood, we asked him about his creation, which depicts the confusion between reality and fantasy.
"Dancing in the fall" Written by: Nozomi Okamoto
Please briefly introduce yourself.

Born in Mie Prefecture, he is currently producing Japanese paintings in Chiba Prefecture. He graduated from the Department of Japanese Painting at Hiroshima City University, but after graduating, he got a job at a general company, so he had little experience as an artist, and it was only in the last 4 years that he began to exhibit in public exhibitions and exhibit individually.5It's about a year.

Currently, I mainly create works based on cats. In particular, I am working on my daily work on poses that make use of the soft body of cats and expressions that make use of their adorable expressions, and I try to create works that give the viewer peace and interest.

"Huaxu's Dream" Written by: Nozomi Okamoto
Are there any exhibitions or events that have left an impression on you?

The exhibition that left an impression on me was the Tsu City Art Exhibition held in 2021. This exhibition was the first public exhibition in several years to take on the challenge of his own will, and the Grand Prize(Mayor's Award)It is a very memorable exhibition.

Currently, many of his works depict cats, and the work presented in this exhibition was also the first Japanese painting with a cat as a motif. Therefore, I feel that this experience was the starting point for my current work and an important event that determined the direction of my expression.

What made you start working as a painter?

I studied Japanese painting at art university, but while I was in school, I gradually lost confidence in my paintings, and after graduation, I chose to get a job at a general company that had nothing to do with painting. Still, I didn't want to make it impossible to do what I had done, so I continued to paint, albeit about one or two paintings a year. Although I was drawing, I continued to live a life for a long time, far from being a so-called painter.

At that time, I experienced childbirth, and as a mother and as a person, I felt a desire to show my children something to be proud of and to pursue something with enthusiasm, and I realized once again that there were only paintings that were a part of my life. This thought led me to take on the challenge of an open exhibition, and thankfully I received an award, which gave me the courage to walk as a painter again. Since then, while balancing childcare and work, I have continued to challenge myself to present my works and participate in public exhibitions.

What kind of thoughts do you put into your work?

Since I was a child, the driving force behind my paintings has been longing. When I couldn't get what I wanted, I drew it, fantasized about the ideal world, and drew it, trying to touch that longing in my own way. The cats I currently draw many times are also drawn from longing, which is the origin of my work.

The reason I started drawing cats was when I was exhausted both physically and mentally due to the overlap of Corona, child-rearing, and work. I have a strong longing for the image of a cat sleeping defenselessly with its belly exposed. It started with a kind of envy. From those who saw the painting, I was able to hear that they were healed by the gestures of the cat sleeping peacefully, and that they found the calm worldview attractive. I feel that the feeling of longing is like a mirror that shakes people's hearts and reflects ideals, and is very attractive.

In addition, modernSNSI think that the Internet society is also an era where empathy and ideals are required. That's why I try to create works that make the viewer feel that the world is attractive to them while facing the subject matter that I am truly attracted to, carefully scooping out the emotions in it.

Please tell us if there is a work that you think is the most "like me!"

I'm embarrassed to say that I honestly draw what attracts me at the time, so my style, motifs, and expressions change greatly. Therefore, when asked "Which work is most like me?", I honestly can't say for sure which period of work is truly my own.

However, I feel that the works I paint with the techniques, motifs, expressions, and ideas that I was strongly attracted to at that time are the works that are most unique to me at that moment. I think that this change in expression is my journey as an artist and my own personality.

"Cat of paradise" Written by: Nozomi Okamoto
Can you tell us your thoughts on future work?

Currently, it is realistic by combining cats and familiar motifs(Realistic world)I am working based on this. However, at the root of this is a longing that has not changed since childhood, and a fantasy world that must be somewhere. It's like a utopia, so to speak. I feel that such a world is the subject I originally want to depict.In the future, I would like to use cats and familiar objects as motifs, but also sublimate that worldview through Japanese paintings.

One of them is Japanese painting(Japanese art)I believe that I am good at expressing the unreal world through design and character such as abstract and exaggerated landscapes and spaces, phantom beasts, and patterns. As a lineage of Japanese painting that creates such fantastic spaces, I am searching for ways to depict the utopia that is the world of my dreams, while using Rinpa expressions and manga expressions as clues.

As a Japanese painter living in the present day, I would like to pursue an ideal worldview that can sympathize with modern people, and strive to become an artist who brings peace and imagination to viewers.

Nozomi Okamoto continues to update his expression while sincerely facing his inner longing. His attitude of accepting even changes in his style as his own steps gives us a sense of great potential for future developments. How will the world that spreads out from familiar motifs sublimate into a utopia? I would like to pay attention to the deepening of expression in the future.

Interview: 2026/04/12