#01 Keeenue / Artist,Painter

Originally, I used both my home and studio, but as the volume of my work increased, it became too small, so around last summer I moved my production base to a building about 15 minutes by car from my home in Chigasaki.

Since I was a student, it was about a year after I graduated, so I worked part-time as a production worker for Mr. (Keiichi) Tanaami for about three years. I majored in graphic design at university, and many of the people around me went on to work at advertising agencies or design companies, but I vaguely thought that I wanted to create my own work. I could never imagine myself becoming an artist, but as I helped Professor Tanaami and other people in various ways, I was able to realize that ``this is what it means to be an artist,'' and from there I began to want to do my best.

Even if you call yourself an artist, there is no point in being an artist unless your work is seen first. That's what I've been thinking about. With so much information in the world, when I think about what immediately catches people's attention, for me it's ``color'' and ``shape.'' In everyday life, whether it's not just art, but package design or advertising, my favorite color combinations tend to naturally catch my eye.

I aim to output things that make me feel good, so I don't think that my emotions are directly expressed in the colors or shapes of my works. If emotion is involved, is it a concept? I often incorporate what I'm feeling uneasy about at the time into a theme. Also, when I'm feeling angry, it might be a motivation to say, ``I'm going to make a good piece of work, so please check it out.''

When collaborating, I often receive conditions and themes first, so I do my own research based on those, but when it comes to solo exhibitions and other venues where I present my work, I tend to start off with a fluffy feeling and gradually solidify. There's a different kind of fun in being able to express what you want to express in a pure way, and in moving forward based on a topic that doesn't suit you. Even if the entrance is different, as long as you think you're cool, that's fine. When it comes to the way I draw, sometimes I think about the situation after I start coloring, and other times I digitally create a rough sketch and then trace it. It really depends on my mood. However, starting without knowing the final shape is fun because even you can't predict it, but it's easier to decide in advance. It's extremely inefficient to draw something once and then repaint it over again with different colors to get a pleasing color or shape. When you're feeling lost, worried, or feeling lazy, it's important to set a deadline. When I see a deadline and feel like I'm in trouble, or when I see someone's good work or exhibition, my motivation increases.

I was living with a goal like ``I want to sell my paintings and make a living,'' but since the coronavirus hit, has that been the case? When the petit art bubble arrived in Japan, I was like, ``What is this?'' There was a period when I was feeling uneasy and didn't enjoy drawing. Perhaps because I didn't have much experience exhibiting overseas, I felt like I was in a position within Japan's small art community. After I started thinking that the world is bigger than ever, I gradually started thinking about going beyond what I was used to.

I have always been interested in murals, which are simply large but overwhelming in their power. I've always said that I wanted to paint murals, and gradually I started to have opportunities to do so. When exhibited in a gallery, the work is aimed at the people who are looking for it, but it is good that anyone can see the mural. And you want to completely change the atmosphere of the place.

In this collaboration, I was able to try out techniques that I had never tried before, and I had a lot of fun drawing them.WIND AND SEAWhile researching the sea and water motifs, I learned that octopuses may have dreams just like humans, and incorporated that into the design. The depth of the painting expresses the image of an octopus camouflaged by rocks, appearing and hiding, and the ambiguous feeling of going back and forth between dream and reality.