I was born in Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. My family was not involved in art or design; they ran a small plumbing installation business. Nagoya is an industrial hub, home to companies like Toyota, and lacks deep roots in contemporary art or design.

I cannot pinpoint a single turning point, but I have loved creating things since elementary school art classes. My earliest “art” memory is simply enjoying doodling in my notebooks and sharing those drawings with friends. Although I attended a high-achieving academic high school and planned for a national university, my desire to study what I loved led me to beg my parents to let me attend art preparatory classes. Surprisingly, my interest in contemporary art and design came later, in my late 20s, after joining a domestic gallery. I was deeply impressed by the diversity of artists when I first attended Art Collaboration Kyoto (ACK). Recently, however, I have stopped attending art fairs as I feel many of the works have begun to look the same.

Including my time as a student, I have been active in creation for about ten years. However, my career has not always been smooth. Due to the high costs of large-scale works, I haven’t always been able to produce them. In university, I made cast metal works and sold small painted test pieces as pins for 500 yen at festivals. After graduating, lacking the environment for metal casting, I took a job and lived in a standard apartment, making brooches and panels on my balcony to sell at department stores. Gradually, this led to commissions for signage from architectural firms and opportunities to create objects for galleries. A period of severe mental distress followed a conflict with a former mentor and a lack of support from my then-gallery, leading me to consider retirement. Thanks to the dedicated support of Ygael, I have decided to try again.

I have found metal to be “cool” since I was a child. Also, as a fan of heavy metal music, I felt a natural sympathy for the material. While the initial reason was simple, I chose casting because I felt hammering or repetitive casting tasks didn’t suit me. Now, I find other materials and techniques interesting as well, and I believe I could have become a different type of artist under different circumstances.

My focus is on surface treatment techniques known as metal coloring. While these have historical roots in both the East and West for decoration and protection, I emphasize a contemporary and improvisational approach to mixing and catalysts. In terms of process, I actively use 3D CAD and 3D printing. I previously used clay or styrofoam, but shifted to digital modeling to achieve sharper, more sophisticated forms. I advocate for these tools because they allow anyone with the necessary skills and knowledge to create, regardless of manual dexterity (which I personally lack).

I believe only those who truly must do this should enter this specialized industry. In my country, being an artist is often misunderstood and lacks social standing. Securing enough funding to sustain a long-term career is extremely difficult. Conversely, a regular job offers stability and ease. Therefore, I only encourage those who feel that art and design are their only path to persevere in this world.

Labels like “art” or “design” are often just terms the public or authorities fixate on. I have no interest in trends or rules, but I hope my work can become a new seed for the industry.