Artist Statement --> 日本語

The themes of my work often come from things and events in her daily life that strongly move her. Therefore, most of my works are born from her very personal experiences. I believe that if I extract a feeling or atmosphere from these experiences and create a work of art, it will resonate with something in someone. Even though each of us has various cultural backgrounds from different countries, I, as an artist, and the people who appreciate my works are both "human beings" biologically, so the signs of what moved me should resonate in someone's soul. I believe this because that is exactly when I am moved by art, movies, and novels.

Whether it is an oil painting, a drawing, or a video work, I always try to express the “sense (or presence)” that I feel.

What is she influenced by the most? 

She was greatly influenced by the New York School, an activist group of abstract expressionism that created a great sensation in the 50s in New York. At the age of 18, she admired an exhibition focusing on the New York School, which awakened my interest in abstract expression. Her drawings were also largely influenced by an exhibition of drawings by Japanese artist Saburo Aso(1913-2000), which I appreciated at the age of 19.

Why did she move to NY?

Many of the walls in New York are beautifully degraded and I admire that kind of historical, aged texture. I believe that the artists of the New York School unconsciously developed their sense of style through those walls. That is one of the reasons I decided to move to New York. I wanted to acquire that sense myself.

Why is her style abstract?

In Japan, where I was born and raised, many people do not have a sense of belonging to a particular religion. However, Buddhism and Shinto are quietly present and rooted in their everyday life. Although there is not much traditional culture left in Tokyo, where I grew up, many people still go to shrines on New Year's to pray for the health of their families, and when someone past away, he or she is buried in a Buddhist graveyard, and on the anniversary of their death, those who remain behind go to the grave to lay their hands. My grandparents, parents, and relatives raised me to cherish everything because they believed every single object in the universe has a soul. I do not believe in spirituality, but I have developed a sense of sensing invisible signs throughout my life in Japan. Therefore abstract expressionism fits my senses perfectly.