"I had been seeing various images and prophetic dreams in my dreams for a long time, and the scene was so strange that I wanted to draw it and visualize it. When I was a child, I loved to draw, and there was a time when I continued to draw pictures of the sun rising from the sea, which was impressive when I was 4 years old. However, I had never studied art at a university or vocational school, and at first I was in a state of fumbling. But for some reason, I began to strongly think, 'I want to draw, I have to draw,' and I immersed myself in it, thinking that it was strange not only for my family but also for myself."
――How did you learn to draw?
"When I saw a scene of painting in a drama or movie, I would pay attention to what kind of art materials were used, and when I found out that there was such a thing as acrylic paint, I would buy it and try it out. No matter how many times I drew it, I couldn't get close to the image in my head, and I couldn't be convinced when I tried it, so I was repeating trial and error. Because of this background, I still paint my works using a variety of art materials such as solid watercolor, acrylic paint, and oil pastel, rather than focusing on one art material. I also use coffee grounds, toothbrushes, and other things other than general art supplies."
"That's right, strangely, since I started painting, I have been connected to various people. One day, I was allowed to draw illustrations for fairy tales, and this was my first solo exhibition to commemorate the publication. After that, I had more opportunities to be approached, and I had live paintings in a large venue with about 20,000 visitors, and I was allowed to have a corner to talk about painting on a radio program."
――Are you still doing such activities today?
"Right now, I'm mainly working on creating works. In fact, about a year ago, I developed a certain disease. It is not directly life-threatening, but it is a lifelong relationship, and there are still few cases in Japan. But I get a lot of inspiration from it for my recent work. He also actively holds solo and group exhibitions. In addition to participating in group exhibitions not only in Japan but also in Thailand and Hong Kong, it has also been featured in the Virtual Illustrator's Wall of the Bologna International Picture Book Original Art Exhibition in Italy. Last year, I signed a contract with a gallery in Paris, and the exhibition there is about to start. However, I think there are other ways to express one's own image, as well as drawing. We will continue to work without sticking to one method of expression."
"My paintings may seem inconsistent to the viewer because the materials and tastes used in each work are different, but what all my works have in common is that they depict the joy of living. In the past few years, my family has developed dementia and my parents' inn that has lasted for about 150 years, and there have been various events other than myself. Through them, I realized that everything has an end and that there is something that can change. There is sadness in it, but I have come to think that it is not sad if you look at it from a larger perspective."
――What kind of image do you have of a big perspective?
"For example, when a person leaves this world, or even after he leaves, I think what he thinks of when he looks back on his life is the beautiful scenery and scene, and the heart that resonates with it. I think that's what I remember on Earth later, and I want it to be."
――Finally, please tell us about your future goals.
"I want people around the world to continue painting at their own pace for a long time and at their own pace. I mentioned earlier that life is often difficult, but I hope that people who look at my paintings in such a situation will be able to sensely remember that 'the earth is a wonderful place' or 'there are wonderful things in life', even for a moment. I want to be like a piece of straw in a life that is like a rough sea. By grabbing the straw, you can float up on your own, even for a moment. I want to continue to create works with such buoyancy."