Art saves our hearts.

I started learning oil painting in elementary school because I was fascinated by the paintings of adults in art class, and I painted all the time until the 6th grade. But after that, I was absorbed in kendo (Japanese fencing) as a club activity during the six years of junior and senior high school, and I was away from painting for a while. Looking back, I guess I didn't have the confidence to apply to art school or make a living as a painter.

Despite my worries, I studied design and got a job at a design company. However, it was not a good fit for me, and I quit after less than a year, and I was like a NEET for a while. I was depressed, thinking that I had nothing left after moving all the way to Tokyo. All I had left was my love of painting, and I suddenly had an idea to set up a canvas and try painting for the first time in a long time. Then, my brush was moving better than ever before, and I was genuinely enjoying myself. I could not forget the feeling I had at that time, and I realized that painting was what I needed to do.

I painted a portrait of Paul Simenon, bassist of a punk band called The Clash, in black and white. He was also a painter, and his landscapes and still-life paintings were very good. His landscapes and still-life paintings were very good. They had a strong touch, like Van Gogh's, and were very typical of that man. I thought I was too old to be a painter, but he pushed me to become one.

I also like hip-hop and listen to it often. It's a culture that creates sounds by sampling. I am often pleased when I dig through old soul albums and find the originals of tracks by my favorite rappers. I think it is similar to art in that the more knowledge you gain, the more you can enjoy it.

The theme of "Fireman" can be summed up in one word: "mental relief. I am the type of person who feels pressure and impatience in my work, so I started this series as a personification of positive thinking to extinguish the fire of such evil thoughts.

This is a type of expression that has been used extensively throughout the history of Western painting. Just as Picasso and El Greco once expressed the dynamism of the human body in an unbalanced way, I have used this technique myself. The first "Fireman" I painted was a giant with masculine shoulders, but since he is the personification of positive thinking, he became a stroking shoulder as I imagined feelings such as gentleness and calmness. The form changed to a large, reassuring form that does not look too strong.

The "Doberman" is a breed that was originally created by man to look strong in order to serve as a bodyguard, and it is also a history of human bluff and ego. Despite their evil-looking appearance, they are also police dogs, and continue to be depicted as symbols of ambiguous concepts of good and evil. They can look like Golgo 13, or they can be stupid. By drawing various Dobermans and anthropomorphizing dogs, I reflect the multifaceted nature of humans and my own feelings at the time.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of my activities. I hope to be able to show to many people here what I have been expressing in a wide variety of ways, which is why the exhibition is organized in this way.

I imagine it as a place where culture intersects with various artists' exhibitions and music events. I hope that people, whether they are interested in art or not, will enjoy my paintings and let their imaginations run wild with their own interpretations.

I had a piece of artwork representing me put on a T-shirt. I am pleased with the beautiful color finish. I also chose a refreshing blue for summer. Paintings are expensive, so you have to have a certain amount of money to buy them, or you have to like them a lot and save up the money. I am happy that the T-shirts make it easier for people to pick them up and have a chance to get to know them. I hope that people will wear these T-shirts when they go out on the town.