Interview with Hyoji
Q. Welcome to u1 gallery. We are so grateful to be able to interview you. We can never thank you enough. Could you introduce yourself and your works? How did you begin creating art?
A. I am Hyoji, an illustrator and painter, mainly of abstract paintings.After graduating from art college and continuing on to graduate school, I had time to study artwork and it was a good opportunity for me to deepen my own work. The Corona Disaster made me think long and hard about my artistic activities, and I strongly decided that I wanted to become a full-fledged artist.
Q. Could you talk about the process of creating and the way of expressing your work?
A. First, I look at the support and place lines and colors according to my feelings and senses at the time. When I see the colors, I always value the intuitive feeling of "This is it!”.I feel that uniqueness and individuality are important in both large and small works. I feel that it is very important to have a pleasant and healing feeling when looking at a work of art, and I aim to create works that give courage and hope to the viewer.
Q. Could you describe one artwork or series from your oeuvre that you feel it was pivotal in your career?
A. I am very attached to each of my works, and all of them are important to me, but I think the works that played a particularly important role are "side-face" and "Our World". Both of these works were exhibited in public competitions, and they played an important role in establishing my painting style.
Q. Where do you get the inspiration for your work?
A. I had never really thought about it, but when I think about it, I realise that I often get images from shapes and forms. Other than that, images come to me from reading letters and texts such as words and poems, or from words and customs that used to be used in the past.
Q. What do you hope that the audience takes away from your art?
A. I hope you will be able to feel the world I express in my works, which often reflect realistic aspects of contemporary social trends and people's lives, as well as my own experiences and memories.
Q. What is your dream project? Could you tell us your plans and aspirations as an artist?
A. I hope to present many more of my works in the future! Currently, I am mainly active in Japan, but in the future I would like to exhibit and have solo shows overseas as well. I would also like to create large murals, three-dimensional works, installations.
Q. Would you like to add something readers should know about you and your art?
A. We live in an era of many changes, and we are exposed to various events on a daily basis. That is why I would like to present works that give courage and hope to those who see them. It was honor to be able to work with u1 Gallery and have this wonderful opportunity! I can’t thank you enough. Thank you to everyone who came to see my solo exhibition. I look forward to showing many more of your works in the future!
