"In my case, I was greatly influenced by manga and anime. Since I was in the second year of junior high school, I have been copying my favorite manga and anime, and exchanging drawings with my friends. I was also enrolled in the art club, but I felt that what I wanted to draw was not landscape paintings or Western paintings, but something floating in the club. At that time, I was really drawing without sleeping."
―You really liked drawing. It seems that you are actively participating in exhibitions now, but when and how did you start presenting your works in such a way?
"The first time I exhibited at an exhibition was in 2016. I have an account as an artist on X (Twitter at the time), and I received a DM inviting me to participate in the exhibition. I had participated in comic art events before, but I had never exhibited at so-called "exhibitions", and I was worried about whether I could put out comic art works like mine. However, the organizers pushed me to exhibit."
-Did you gain any insights from your first exhibition?
"I was able to realize that everyone accepted my work more than I thought and looked at it seriously. One customer seemed to have a lot of overlap between my work and my feelings at the time, and he said, 'I was in the work.' I had often received comments about painting expressions such as "beautiful lines", but that was the first time I received words that made me think of my work as my own. As an experience unique to exhibitions, it still remains in my mind."
InterviewFeatured Artist
"I often use the theme of 'flower language'. My grandmother, who became my parent, liked to grow flowers and sent me photos of flowers that bloomed even when I was bedridden.
However, the flower language you choose may be a little sad or scary rather than bright. One of the major events in my life was when I became mentally ill due to the continuous death of my relatives. That's why I think it's important to overlap the language of flowers that choose your own feelings. I thought it was different to force yourself to smile or draw a bright picture. I feel that expressing the inner world and the bottom of a person is more like my own work."
―I think it's because you're layering your life-size self that your work resonates with people's hearts. Do you have a favorite work?
"The work I mentioned earlier, where you said, 'I was in the work,' is exactly the case, but it's titled 'I don't want to drown'. The chrysanthemum flower, a representative Buddha flower, and the woman breathing in the water express the feeling that "I am close to death now, but I didn't get sick because I liked it." It is a state that is fluffy to the brink of life and death.
The original drawing size is A4, but it took 5 days to create it carefully. After all, it was also a work for an exhibition, so I am particular about the art materials. The light blue background is airbrushing Copic. I also drew my hair with a dipping pen. I usually use Copic, but I wanted to make it a clear black where the color looks a little lighter as a characteristic of Copic. Also, the brushstrokes of the dipping pen are rough when touched, so I wanted to enjoy creating that kind of feeling while creating it myself."
―It's a very delicate and particular work. What do you think are the strengths and characteristics of your work?
"I am often told by people who look at me often, but I think one of the characteristics is the delicateness of the lines of the hair. When I was a child, while people around me were buying me coloring books, I was bought a straight notebook and drew an endless maze with no exit. For me, the expression 'drawing a line' is more appropriate than 'drawing.'"
"It's 'the reason why I live'.
There was a time when I thought about why I had to live, even to death. Still, you can see the work, get various impressions, and feel relieved that it's okay to draw. The work inevitably reveals the dark part of oneself, and life and death can be seen and hidden, and that is my work."
-Thank you very much for sharing your life-size thoughts. Finally, please tell us about your goals and prospects for the future.
"I would like to invite artists I am close to and artists I personally follow as fans to hold a special exhibition with some kind of theme. I have a small solo exhibition coming soon to maintain my motivation, but I dream of a large-scale solo exhibition with most of my new works. However, now I have a feeling that I can draw a little more myself. I want to achieve it after I have grown to a level that I am satisfied with. Even if it's not all the people who see it, I want to take the time to create it carefully with the feeling that if only one person is stabbed."