I was born in Nagasaki in 1995. Since I was a child, I have certainly had emotional ups and downs, but I was not good at putting them into words and sharing them with others. There are many thoughts swirling in my mind, but I can't put them into words well. I think I have always had such frustration. That feeling did not disappear as an adult, but rather became stronger as I got older.
In this context, the production series Inside mind was born. This series was born as a means to take out unspeakable and ambiguous inner emotions to the outside world. Inside mind expresses the positive and negative emotions that suddenly arise in our daily lives in colors with strong contrasts of yellow and purple, and simple shapes such as circles, triangles, and squares. It is made up of only colors and shapes, so at first glance it may seem very simple. However, behind it, the fluctuations of my own heart and the small emotional movements of everyday life are contained as they are.
Although his career as an artist is not long yet, he has gradually realized the potential of communication through art by presenting his works mainly online. For me, creation is a self-introduction, a self-dialogue, and an important act to quietly connect with someone. I would be happy if I could continue to share something with those who watch while giving shape to my inner emotions.
InterviewFeatured Artist
The most memorable moment is when my work first sells. I was incredibly happy that a small piece of work that embodied my emotions was welcomed into someone's living space, and I still remember it vividly.
Until then, the work was just a means to let out the emotions inside oneself. However, when someone appeared who wanted the work, I was surprised and deeply relieved that some of my emotions moved to someone else's living space and had a place there.
It was then that I realized for the first time that having people like this work and want to display it is such a great help in continuing to create. When I work alone, it tends to be a lonely task, but the moment it reaches someone, I felt that the work began to take on a new meaning.
This experience was a very big event that taught me that my expression is not just about me, but that I can also be close to or resonate with someone's emotions. Since then, I think the way I approach production has changed little by little.
People have always been told that I don't know what I'm thinking, and that's been a complex for me for many years. It is by no means that there are no emotions. I just couldn't put it into words well, and I always felt that there were various voices swirling inside. Happiness, sadness, hazy feelings, and unnameable emotions. Even though they certainly existed, I continued to feel frustrated that I couldn't let them out.
Rather, the more I tried to explain it in words, the more I felt that I was losing my true self, as I was moving away from my true feelings or being stripped away by superficial meanings. I felt that while language is convenient, it is also somewhat inconvenient.
One day, I suddenly started looking for expressions that were not words, and through trial and error, I naturally arrived at art. If it is a picture, there is no correct answer or misunderstanding like words. Each viewer was free to receive it, and I myself had the freedom to leave my emotions as they are without having to force myself to adjust or put them together. That feeling may have been the only way to express it that felt right for me.
When I paint my work, I am not giving an explanation, but it is more like leaving a trace. I change the temperature of my feelings and the fluctuations of my heart that day into colors and shapes, and keep them on the screen. That is what I am doing, and it has become an important time to face myself.
My work does not seek a specific meaning or interpretation from the viewer. There is a part of me that avoids clearly presenting this feeling. I don't want them to read it this way, and I think it's enough to just lightly touch them if they feel this way. Emotions are really complex, formless, and difficult to define. That's why in my work, I want to convey emotions as atmospheres rather than explanations.
Yellow and purple, the way the shapes overlapped, the width of the margins, all of them represent the sound and temperature of my heart at that time. One day the shape fills the screen, and another day it is small. That's because that's how I feel, and I'm sticking that fluctuation on the screen as it is.
If the viewer touches on something in my emotions a little or has some reflexive awareness, that's enough. However, if people realize that the heart was here, I think it is the richer dialogue for the work.
I feel that "Inside mind-53 - 'Karaoke'" is the work that best expresses the essence of oneself as a human being.
I sometimes go to karaoke by myself, and karaoke is a very special space for me. Fun, calming, and liberating. On the other hand, emotions such as anxiety and loneliness also come in at the same time, creating a wave of emotions that you cannot control well. It is a feeling of mixing positive and negative feelings, which are intricately intertwined and swirling.
It was this work that incorporated that messy but not disgusting feeling into the picture. Whether it was a moment when my mood fluctuated greatly or when it quietly sank, I felt like I was acknowledged that everything was a part of me.
Through my work, I was able to realize that good emotions are not the only ones who make me, but all complex and contradictory emotions shape me. By being able to give shape to the unique tempo and fluctuations of thoughts and emotions that change in a flowing way, this is a piece that made me strongly feel that this is my Inside mind.
I'm currently taking a break from production, but it's not that I no longer want to express myself. Rather, I feel that by keeping a little distance, I have become more sensitive to my inner movements than before. I now feel that the time I was away from production was actually an important time to face myself.
In 2026, I hope to resume my creative activities at my own pace. Instead of rushing and trying to force it into shape, I would like to carefully pick up each grain of emotion that is born in my daily life and express it through the filter of Inside mind. I feel that the more we are apart, the new perspective and depth will always be reflected in the work. I am very much looking forward to being able to pursue more freedom and more personal expression than my previous works. The thoughts and realizations accumulated during the rest period will surely quietly breathe in the next works. I would like to continue to face my creations while valuing my own pace.
Shimshiro, an artist from Nagasaki, is developing a series of productions called "Inside mind" that visualizes inner emotions that cannot be expressed in words through color and shapes. The contrasting colors of yellow and purple express positive and negative emotions, and the combination of simple shapes encapsulates the fluctuations of everyday minds in the work. The feelings of the day are put into the work and close to the hearts of the viewers.It is expected that her delicate emotional expression will reach the hearts of more people in the future.