Interview-5: Influence & Originality

Q: In your creative activity, do you feel influence from other artists or ones you respect?

In creating my work, the answer is no.

But quintessentially, whatever you do painting or playing music, your favorite artists or ones you respect are the great force which drives & leads you to the same field.

Therefore, the influence I received from those great artists in my early career has existed in my heart to this day.

But when it comes to making my own work, it could be said that I purposefully get rid of it. Of course, it might be recognizable from my audience point of view.

Q: Tell me about your originality.

First of all, what to be called originality doesn't exist in my creative activity.

As I have already talked in the previous interview, my every single new work starts from being zero, nothing, empty. 

It's more about them naturally taking shape rather than me trying to finish by design. So at the moment I try to set out my originality in it, it loses its significance. 

Furthermore, it could bind you forever once a particular style is established inside of you. Considering it, my approach could be more about destroying styles.

To be continued to Interview-6

Produced & translated by

3e-Tokyo Project