When I look back on my past productions, the source of my paintings came from prints and drawings. Originally, the scratching technique was based on my experience in creating drypoint lithographs back in 1998. Scratching on a canvas that has been layered with acrylic paint is similar to showing the block itself as a work of art. Also, until 2014, I didn’t need to make drawings. The reason being, the painting itself was a drawing without a plan.
The reason why I started exhibiting drawings around 2015 was not because I needed them to create my paintings. This is because I dreamed of creating a society in which people can freely choose and purchase art that has yet to be evaluated.
However, modern art was originally a challenge to break down such a hierarchy, and at first I myself wanted to break down that kind of common sense in Japan as an artist. As a result I’ve made an effort to sell my work at an surprisingly affordable price.
However, unexpected things happened to me, too, such as winning awards several times and my work being in the collection of museums. This is what I really feel. I’m originally an underground person with a strong orientation as a counterculture.
Therefore, in the midst of these contradictions, I had to set my own standards once again as to why the prices of my works are set the way they are. This is because my approach to selling artwork is unique, unlike the traditional method of selling works through galleries.
The purpose of my activities can be summarized as follows.
“My approach involves using traditional art forms like painting and printmaking to explore questions such as, ‘How can we incorporate the atmosphere of contemporary art? I am trying to make visual art more familiar and relevant to the times, focusing on the question of whether it can be arranged in a modern way.”
Through these activities, I feel that even people who are not good at contemporary art are accepted.