InterviewAuthor Interview

I'm Yumiko Okazaki, an acrylic artist. In addition to copperplate and gel prints, I also hold Estonian felt workshops irregularly.
On the first and third Saturdays of every month from 2 PM, he serves as MC on FM SALUS, introducing his own works on the program.

Born in Tokyo, raised by free-spirited parents, and studied three-dimensional design at Tama Art University. Starting as an editor for a design information magazine, he worked in various creative roles such as fashion design, textile design, web production, illustration production, and silver accessory production before pursuing a career as a painter. He continued to draw during his time as a designer, and in 2000, digital illustrations were continuously featured on the cover of corporate newsletters.

While teaching at a vocational school, I hit it off with an Estonian woman who was visiting to observe fashion education, which led to my visit there. I became a member of the Estonian Fashion Artists Union, and from 2009 to 2016, I visited Estonia almost every summer, creating and exhibiting works featuring croquis and traditional Estonian patterns painted on Japanese paper with facial pigments. This experience has become the foundation of my current work.

Three years ago, during summer school at NY State University, I resolved to live as a painter, declaring, "I have art!" and immediately declared myself a painter after returning to Japan. That autumn, a painting depicting the carriage road sold out, further fueling my passion for creation, and the following year, I was selected for a top spot at the Platinum Art Association. Since then, I have actively exhibited solo shows at the Ginza Okuno Building, public and Tokyo exhibitions, and group shows, and have been selected for the Cadaqués International Mini Print Exhibition, building a solid track record. This year, my work has been featured in art magazines, and in February next year, I have decided to exhibit at the NUOVO GIAPPONISMO2027 in Florence and have also acquired it locally. I try to paint things that move me before they lose their freshness.

I don't remember clearly if it was when I was an art student or after graduation, but when Andy Warhol's exhibition first came to Japan, I was deeply shocked. It was an exhibition that changed the concept of art and taught us how approachable it was.

The most memorable moment from my own exhibition was about two months after my declaration as a painter, when a painting depicting "Carriage Road," one of my eternal themes, sold. I don't paint to sell it, but when it sells, I feel very happy.

Currently, I am creating a piece called "The Strange Orchard" for the Tokyo Exhibition. These are two large-scale 30-s-sized works using a unique technique called the "Double Fantasy Technique," which I have named and researched. Spaced spaces over the canvas paintings, transparent resin plates are layered, and the painting is also drawn from the inside. This creates depth and allows us to express the mystery created by shadows.

Three years have passed since my declaration as a painter, and several achievements have become apparent, including being selected for the Platinum Art Association, being selected for the Cadaques International Mini Print Exhibition, exhibiting at the Tokyo Open Exhibition in Tokyo, and exhibiting and collecting at NUOVO GIAPPONISMO2027 in Florence. Including my activities in Estonia since 2009, I feel that my efforts so far have been recognized, and I am even more motivated.

I heard that I was chosen for this project as a result of a team led by an Italian critic researching Japanese artists, and I feel like the door to becoming a global artist has opened. Since last year, I have also encountered new visitors at the "First Decoration Summoning Exhibition" at Yokohama Nigiwaiza, which has become a tradition, and I am looking forward to it. I always believe that my works reflect my own sensibility, so I not only stay in my studio but also constantly keep my antenna on and strive to input, expressing that as wonderful output.