【FOCUS IT.] "Thomason Land" was established in Kyoto by artists who have been drawing monsters for 10 years! The slogan is "Bring back our Monster Pride".

He is the one and only artist who has been painting original monsters for 10 years, not missing a single day,TOMASONMr. Kurokawa is a master of the art of "monster". The monsters he creates are colorful and extremely charming, with a hint of venom, and you can't help but be drawn to them.

His fourth and largest ever interactive exhibition "TOMASON LAND" is being held at Fujii Daimaru, a long-established department store in Kyoto, until Monday, November 23 (national holiday). We visited "TOMASON LAND" to learn more about the still mysterious personality of TOMASON and his thoughts on the event.

Inspiration comes from ordinary, everyday life.

Tomason, you have been painting monsters for 10 years.

Ever since I can remember, I have loved monsters and monstrosities, and my favorite book was Shigeru Mizuki's "Yokai Zukan" ("Illustrated Book of Monsters"). . Even when I watch Ultraman, for some reason I am more interested in the monsters on the enemy side. . but they are defeated by the heroes of justice and are soon gone. I felt kind of sad about that, so I was always secretly drawing illustrations of the monsters.

At first, I just kind of drew them, but when I thought about my future at the time I entered college, I decided that I wanted to continue drawing monsters forever. . Since that time, for the past 10 years, I have drawn monsters without fail every day, no matter how busy I am or how bad my health is.

Ten years is quite a long time! The monsters you draw are impressive with their pop colors and humorous expressions. . What influenced you?

When I was in elementary school, I went to New York on a family vacation and bought a lot of Tim Burton figures. From there, I got into foreign pop culture and was attracted to American comics and skater brands such as Mark Gonzalez. I really like the vivid colors and the villainous but lovable characters. . Also, I routinely draw monsters on copy paper using Posca, so my work is based on using primary colors.

What kind of ideas do you come up with for the monsters you draw every day?

. like the hat of an old man taking a walk in the neighborhood, or the silhouette of a piece of trash on the side of the road (laughs). . They are based on what I saw and felt that day. . Maybe drawing monsters is like a diary to record what goes on in my head. In fact, if I were to draw every day, I would soon run out of ideas, so I often get inspiration from my daily casual observations.

What is "TOMASON LAND" anyway?

This year's "TOMASON LAND" is the largest ever, but first of all, what kind of event is it?

This is an exhibition where visitors can experience the world of monsters that I have been depicting. Using an entire large floor, I expressed a pop and chaotic theme park where monsters and humans coexist.

-I would also like to ask how you decided to hold the event at the Corona Disaster.

. Actually, I had received an offer from Daimaru Fujii for "TOMASON LAND" before this situation came up. I myself opened a gallery last year and published an art book this spring ......, and originally 2020 was supposed to be a very important year for me. However, the Corona earthquake put a stop to many of my projects, and I had lost a lot of motivation. To be honest, I wasn't sure if the audience would come right before the event, and I wondered if I should dare to do something so difficult under such circumstances. At one point, I seriously wondered if it would be better to turn it down.

At that time, a visitor who happened to be at the gallery encouraged me to take up the challenge, saying, "It's times like these. Thinking about it again, I used to enjoy just being able to create things and just drawing illustrations. But now I am so caught up in whether or not I fit in with the times that I am no longer able to do artwork freely. I was so busy with the daily grind that before I knew it, I had forgotten how to genuinely enjoy art. My original intention, or in other words, my monster pride. . In order to regain it, I decided to hold "TOMASON LAND.

What kind of exhibition is "TOMASON LAND" this time around?

The theme is "Restoring Monster Pride. You will enter a world where monsters and humans coexist. At first, you will enjoy a space that pays homage to a certain theme park, but one day, a brutal incident occurs that tears apart the relationship between the two. With that, things start to get a little bit unsettling. ......

A large sculpture of the original monster "Justin Bear" is displayed in a space that is reminiscent of a theme park. It is a perfect photo spot.

The second area of the building has an unsettling atmosphere. The monsters "Matsumoto Die" (left) and "Matsumoto Die Requiem" (right) are hanging by the wall. They are quite grotesque.

. and I can't say too much, but in the work that I drew for this event, there are scenes in which monsters shed blood and fight. . I wanted to convey the message that sometimes it is important to break out of a current situation with the determination and passion to the point of shedding blood.

It looks like a fun amusement park, but in its subterranean space, monsters are planning terrible tricks.

There are shocking leaks that TV personalities, idols, and even world-class musicians were monsters.

The new work, newly drawn for the event, shows the courage of the monsters in fierce battle to regain their pride.

. When you look around the exhibition halls like this, it is interesting that there is a storyline, as if you are watching a movie.

. Thank you very much. We were able to hold this event because of the support of many people, including my aunt, who made the stuffed monster, and my local friends who helped set up. This exhibition is a reflection of the love I have for the people around me. Through this event, I hope each and every one of you will regain your confidence and pride, and gain a strong mindset that will not be defeated by the current situation.

At the center of the exhibit are two stuffed animals, "Justin Bear" and "Speak Boy," created by Tomason's aunt. Surrounding them are objects of local friends who support him.

Tips for rooting for "TOMASON LAND".

Finally, do you have any tips on how to enjoy "TOMASON LAND" more?

Photography is allowed for all exhibits. Please take lots of photos and upload them on social media with the hashtag #TOMASONLAND2020. I will also be at "TOMASON LAND" as a guide, so if the timing is right, I may be able to talk to you in person. Also, I will be holding a workshop called "Portrait Monster," where I will draw an impromptu monster inspired by the person's mood, so I would like people to do this as a commemorative event!

TOMASON drew a "portrait monster" of a visitor. The twin-tailed girl became a monster named "JENNY".

By the way, the merchandising area is free of charge. Colorful figures to accent your interior start at ¥3,000 and up.

Photo_Nagisa Nishijima
Text_Yuka Muguruma (TRYOUT)