MCANDREW Anna Perin
Topic: The impact of migration on Miki Nitadori’s work.
Research Question: What is the impact of a multicultural experience on the art of Miki Nitadori?
Approach: An investigation into the effects of migration of Miki Nitadori’s work.
Abstract
The research question for my Extended Essay is: ‘What is the impact of a multicultural
experience on the art of Miki Nitadori?’. I decided to further my knowledge on this topic as I am
particularly interested in the artist, her works and philosophy she expresses through her work.
I conducted my investigation by interviewing Miki Nitadori via email, analysing art work and
textual analysis. After which I achieved a strong insight into the possible cultural influences on her
work.
In conclusion I realised that Nitadori’s cultural influence has been multifaceted, as she has not
only been influenced by growing up in different countries, but also by many cultured artists, periods
and styles. We can see this through the sitters, colours, textiles and exhibitions Nitadori chooses to
exhibit. Her art is an expression of who she is and we can see cultural influences in all aspects of her
work.
Contents
Pg 1
Introduction & Research Overview
Pg 2
Background Information
Pg 3
Grouping of Miki Nitadori’s Art Work & Blond Ambition
Pg 4
Triumph
Pg 5
Combat
Pg 7
Cultural Influences on Nitadori’s Artwork & The Influence of Identity on Portraits
Pg 8
Artists that have Influenced Nitadori
Pg 10 Comparing and Contrasting Cultures through Photography
Pg 12 Analysis of Nitadori’s Work
Pg 14 Triumph
Pg 15 Blond Ambition
Pg 16 Conclusion
Pg 17 Bibliography
Appendix
Introduction
In this essay I am going to explore what impact a multicultural experience has had on Miki
Nitadori’s art work. In order to do this I am going to examine selected pieces of her art, and an
interview I had with Nitadori which highlights her multicultural identity as well as the way in which she
develops her work. It is important when examining art to pay attention to the influences
multiculturalism has on work as well as the effect cultural traditions has influenced colour and design.
Not only is Nitadori aware of what she brings to the world of art but she is also very aware of her
audience and the impact her art might have on them. It is all these elements of her work that I intend
to discuss in this essay.
Research Overview
Miki Nitadori was a friend of my brother, whose art made a strong impact on me. She has a
website1, and is often writing and updating it with her ongoing art works. I enjoy reading and
understanding her views on art. She talks about issues that I can relate to as I have a similar
experience, growing up in various countries, these issues include multiculturalism, identity and life in
general. I decided to interview2 her via email and use her as my Extended Essay topic as I wanted to do
1
http://www.mikinitadori.com
2
Appendix 1
more than just admire her art and read about her philosophy, I wanted to write about it, investigate
and analyse her work. I asked her the questions that I thought most appropriate for this study, about
the process of her works, particularly her portraiture.
Background Information
Miki Nitadori was born in 19713 and moved throughout her childhood to various different
countries including Thailand, Hawaii and Europe. She began a serious interest in art when she was 16 4,
when dealing with hard questions concerning identity and culture as she felt couldn’t express herself
through language, and started to experiment with art. This has lead to a constructive career in art.
Miki’s art derives mostly from photography, either it remains a photograph or is taken to
another stage, is photo shopped and transferred onto bright colourful textiles. She has had various
exhibitions including Blond Ambition, Paradise Lost, Triumph, Seesaw Spotting and Combat. She
states ‘My works are about being in between cultures’.5
3
http://www.mikinitadori.com/bio.html
4
Appendix 1
5
Appendix 1
Groupings of Nitadori’s Art work
Miki has had several exhibitions, however due to the limitations of this study I will only be
focusing on three of them of which are Blond Ambition, Triumph and Combat.
Blond Ambition6
7
Blond Ambition focuses on the westernisation of Japan. Nitadori witnessed a small but significant social
transition in Japanese culture in the late 90’s, in which people of all ages had died their hair blond as appose to
the traditionally black. As Nitadori had been living in many different continents she unsurprisingly saw this
transition in a different light. Nitadori was not one of those who followed the flock of people getting jobs at
new western stores; rather she felt the need to express this through art. In Blond Ambition she questions
personal and national identity. ‘Does a flag represents a nationalism, a patriotism, identity or is it a object that
symbolizes an origin?’8. Nitadori poses sincere questions on identity, questioning how we define a certain
6
http://www.mikinitadori.com/blond-ambition.html
7
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=29819&id=705201988&op=12
8
group of people who belong and don’t belong to a nation. ‘In this context, I feel that my origin is marked under
my skin’. In saying this she implies that identity is a lot deeper than appearance, and the colour of one’s skin. In
this exhibition the floor and walls are all white, in the middle there is a red circular table, and this creates the
Japanese flag as seen from bird’s eye view. Inside the flag she pastes phrases from the video from actual people.
‘By physically writing the words on a red circle, I attempt to create a relationship between real voices of people
and a nation’.
Triumph9
10
Triumph is a group of art works created between 1996 and 2004, with the exception of three images
from the 1950’s. It is a very personal exhibition celebrating the existence of life, and the temporary moments
that disappear each second. There is no narration as she attempts to view it as her personal memory which
http://www.mikinitadori.com/blond-ambition.html
9
http://www.mikinitadori.com/triumph.html
10
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=20895&id=705201988
attributes a ‘fictional quality’, it has a strong European, Hawaiian and Japanese feel, and we can see this
through the landscapes, people and various writings on photographs. Nitadori initially wanted to create a movie
from still images, perhaps in a way to bring back the past to the present through art permanently. She is
searching through art a way to unite herself with the reality of life and the world.
Combat11
12
Combat is a series of photographs, taken of herself and people from diverse backgrounds. In
her website13 Nitadori explains that each of the subjects were asked to express one symbol through a
body gesture representing their fight for daily survival. She then increases the contrast on the photo
so it is transformed into a minimalistic black and white photo, which appears to resemble Sumi-e
philosophy, she then transfers the photo onto printed textiles, and using the sitter’s personal
background and other factors she combines the photo and material to create Combat14. The ideas
11
http://www.mikinitadori.com/introduction.html
12
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41074&id=705201988&op=6
13
http://www.mikinitadori.com/what-is-combat.html
14
http://www.mikinitadori.com/transfer.html
behind Combat embrace her views on everyday life, things we, regardless of our race or age encounter
daily. She expresses the hardships of life and the constant struggle one is continuously going through,
whether it is simply waking up in the morning, going to school, cooking lunch, or telling the truth 15.
After Nitadori has taken the photo and gotten the sitter better, the sitter fills in a questionnaire and
she asks three question of the following:
‘1. What is your favorite colour?
2. What is your favorite textile pattern?
3. Where is your favorite country?’16
The selection of textiles is based upon these three elements. In an interview she says the
textiles come from ‘The 3rd district is the smallest district in Paris that consists of Chinese and Jewish
community, in addition to French Yuppies on the east side. This gave a diversity of motifs in tissues.’ 17
Having such an insight to a sitter strongly impacts the direction of the work, therefore this produces
culturally rich artwork.
15
http://www.mikinitadori.com/introduction.html
16
Appendix 1
17
Appendix 1
Cultural Influences on Nitadori’s Artwork
Nitadori has had the opportunity of living in many different countries, and her diverse cultural
experiences have had a significant influence on her work. This can be seen through her ideas on
identity, her ability to compare and contrast cultures through photography and the opportunities she
has made from using a variety of textiles. She is also taken advantage of using people from diverse
cultural backgrounds as her sitters. Colour also plays a major part in exposing these differences
between cultures. As depending on which culture one belongs to the interpretations of colour can
vary significantly (see page 15).
The Influence of Identity on Nitadori’s Portraits
In my discussion with Miki when asked which culture she felt she most belonged to, she
responded ‘I don’t choose a culture, I belong to all and none’18. This can be seen in combat where
she’s asked people to photograph themselves, and asks three questions as mentioned above. Her
intention is not to impose her cultural identity on her sitter but rather to draw out their own unique
individuality. However this is only possible because of her ability to identify with different
nationalities.
18
Appendix 1
In Combat we can see the emphasis on identity, she purposefully chooses sitters from all ages,
races and nationalities. She does not stick to one race of person as this makes the works rich, and can
be seen as a metaphor of the variety of colours.
In Blond Ambition, the central theme is identity. She says: ‘“Identity” can be only recognized
where there is a difference.’19 She feels that identity is much deeper than appearance. She believes
that the only way to identify someone is when we can see a difference, and since each human being is
unique we are all individuals of society and we shouldn’t need to create exclusive groups based on
appearance. Miki often inquires deeper in her sitters than just façade.
Artist that have Influenced Nitadori
The artists who have influenced Miki’s work have, interestingly come from a diversity of
multicultural backgrounds. It is these artist’s ideologies and work that she says have had the most
profound impact on her art. I considered what it was about these artists work that she most admired
and whether they had influenced the way she expressed her multiculturalism. Dan Eldon and Robert
Rauschenberg are amongst the artists mentioned in her interview20.
19
http://www.mikinitadori.com/blond-ambition.html
20
Appendix 1
Dan Eldon was a creative activist21. He grew up in various countries in Africa and continued his
studies in the US. Dan Eldon was very politically aware and had a deep concern for the society. In his
photography we see shocking images from Somalian war scenes, starving children and adults,
corruption, danger, death. The images are extremely powerful and intense. Eldon is making us become
aware of the issues these people and country face through powerful images. The images are so
shocking that we want to deny the actuality of the situation. Eldon’s purpose of creating art was to
bring attention to a political issue, to inform the world through creative ways the reality of the world.
This can be contrasted with other artist’s intentions to create art, perhaps to be aesthetically pleasing,
as a means of expression or to fulfil someone else’s desires. A similarity between Nitadori and Eldon’s
work can be seen through the attempts to convey a message and philosophy through art, as appose to
simply creating an aesthetically pleasing piece of art.
Robert Rauschenberg, ‘American painter, sculptor, printmaker, photographer and performance
artist’22. Rauschenberg created many silkscreen prints as he discovered a different way to apply his
drawings onto canvas through a photomechanical method called screen printing. He uses many
different textures, giving a sculpture like feel to his paintings. He has made many performances, live
painting and diverse projects in different parts of the world, including local collaboration with local
21
http://www.daneldon.org/about/index.html
22
www.oxfordartonline.com:80/subscriber/article/grove/art/T070888
artisans. He is at times very political, emotional and aesthetic while remaining conscious of the world
and his personal life. Similarly we can see in Nitadori’s Combat, she also uses the process of screen
printing. He is exploring and extending the possibilities of art whilst challenging it without end.
Nitadori is also exploring possibilities of art, through her photography and screen printing. It appears
that Nitadori has been influenced by creating diverse projects throughout the world, and also working
in collaboration with teenagers in high school in Paris.
Yoko Ono23 is a multimedia Japanese artist, composer and musician. She brought art to another
level, experimenting and testing the limits. She had many performances including ‘Cut Piece’ in 1965.
Her art is very controversial and conceptually rich. I explored the various medium and messages that
Ono used but could not see the connection as to how Nitadori was influenced in her work. Perhaps the
interest lies in personal reasons.
Comparing and Contrasting Cultures through Photography
Oriental Sumi-e Philosophy is traditionally Japanese. The legend behind states that an artist
was asked to paint a dragon however the artist when finished left out the eyes, as if he finished every
aspect the painting would be exact and the dragon would come alive. The man demanded that they
be painted, and the dragon flew away as soon as they were. ‘The goal is not simply to reproduce the
23
http://www.yoko-ono.com/bio.htm
appearance of the subject, but to capture its soul’24. As is the Sumi-e Philosophy I feel that Nitadori has
attempted a something similar. In Combat, she does not only capture the image of her sitters, she
captures their soul. ‘To paint a flower, there is no need to perfectly match its petals and colors, but it is
essential to convey its liveliness and fragrance’25. The objective is not to recreate a photo realistic copy
of the person but rather to give the painting life, what the artist interprets. Another technique that is
common in Sumi-e Philosophy is the minimalistic use of lines and tones, but enough to convey form
and motion. We can see this in Combat, as once she has taken the photo of the individual, she
photoshops it so it is on a very minimalistic level, only the necessary things to show the form and feel,
and leaves it in black and white. Then she transfers that on to material based on what she feels suits
the individual’s identity and what looks best.
Dada26 was considered by some an artistic movement, and by others, a protest against the war,
the conventional art and traditions of everyday life. It took place in Europe and New York 1915 to
1923. The period during the World War One was very turbulent for the populations; there were many
who felt the need to express themselves from being careless and experimental to testing the limits
24
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting
25
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting
26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkIJ0odFxA
and boundaries of society. It was a period art went through which was full of ‘challenging and
upwelling of preconceived ideas of art’27. The creators didn’t want to be recognised as artists, rather as
engineers who were ‘putting something together’28 as some works were assembled as a form of
collage. The poetry and art was very expressive and comical, they mocked many traditional ways of
society, and ignored all rules in poetry writing. Dadaism is an example of the possibilities of freedom
there is within art. It’s been an influence on lots of interesting and exciting people. The connection
between Dadaism in Nitadori’s work is not clear to me as her work is not overtly Dadaist; I have
difficulty distinguishing what exactly was inspiring for Nitadori. Perhaps it was simply an inspiration
into the general form of art and the possibilities and freedoms there are and what’s more, to pursue
being an artist.
27
Pg 9 - Dada art and anti-art (Hans Richter 1997), Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
28
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkIJ0odFxA
Analysis of Nitadori’s Work
Combat
29
In order to establish the kinds of cultural impact the above
influences have had on Nitadori’s work it is necessary to examine a few pieces of her work in detail.
In all of the works in Combat, they have a person whose photo is contrasted to a minimalistic image and placed
upon colourful material. This creates a similar affect as is the traditional paintings of Sumi-e philosophy as
mentioned above. The people are from diverse countries and as Nitadori attempts to express each individual’s
29
(photo) Combat: Manual for daily survival, 2008 http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=945131&id=705201988
uniqueness the materials are of diverse colours and designs. There is a very strong Japanese feel as the black
inks combined with the flowers are two traditional aspects in Japanese art. The man’s gesture is expressing
what appears to be a peace sign, but reversed. The sitter is very serious, perhaps he is trying to express that
there is no peace in the world. This could be a metaphor for peace throughout the world, as if we look
superficially there is peace, but as we look deeper we see that it is a misperception and it cannot exist, it is
merely an idealistic concept. The picture has a very cold feel as if he has died and has returned as a ghost? He is
covering his neck with his arms; he could almost be chopping his head off. Perhaps he has had enough and is
suicidal? The shapes the fingers and hands made have sharp edges and take away the smoothness from the
painting.
30
On the other hand this
painting appears to be quite French; it has French writing ‘Paris Souvenirs’ translated means memories of Paris.
30
However the red back ground and design in the background seems very western. Red is the colour of the
Japanese flag. In this work red in the background is powerful and accentuated and pushed subconsciously into
the foreground perhaps in this context the colour could signify anger, blood or power. The man’s expression is
also very serious. The object in the foreground, which appears to be a building, reminds us of the Eiffel Tower
when seen with the word Paris. It has a very sharp end which ends passed the sitters eye. Red also symbolises
blood. The sitter’s expression is very serious and he is looking directly at the viewer. He appears to be making a
shape with his hands, a perpendicular which covers his nose and mouth. His eyebrows and eyes are extremely
difficult to distinguish and form one feature – the eyes. The blue and red strongly contrast each other. Blue
often symbolises a calm, mellow, peaceful feeling - the opposite of significance of red. The sitter’s head is in an
upright position, whilst the writing and the building are placed diagonally and cross each other in the middle of
the painting, which balances out the painting, breaking the vertical and horizontal contrasts. This gives a symbol
of a cross. The building is painted yellow which together with the red and blue unites all three primary colours.
As well as the large cross which appears in the middle of the painting, there is also hundreds of tiny crosses on
the building. The ‘I’ of ‘Souvenirs’ crosses the eye on the man’s face. Overall the painting gives a fierce, strong,
powerful, angry, scary impression.
Triumph
Combat: Manual for daily survival,( Bernd) 2008, http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=945096&id=705201988
31
This photo was taken from one of her groups of
works called Triumph. The focus in the photo is of the foot. It is the only object present with the
background of a layer of newspapers which highly likely comes from ‘Le Monde’ - a French newspaper,
as we can see ‘onde’ in the font ‘Le Monde’ is typically written in. There is light shining on the foot,
which creates a spiritual feel. The position on the foot is very powerful. It is has a very implicative
statement, a show of power, control. It is placed flat on top of newspapers. It appears to be relaxed
but firm. It also gives an impression of covering up something; perhaps it is trying to hide the truth
from the eyes. The foot is very long and mature; hence we can deduce it is an adult’s foot. The light is
very dim in this photo giving it a mysterious and more attractive appeal. It we imagined this photo to
be taken with a flash, and in high quality it wouldn’t give the same impression. The edge of the photo
31
Triumph: 2004 no title; http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=458454&id=705201988
is dark giving this impression the outside world is perhaps a dark, corrupt world? If I had to place this
foot into context, I would imagine the person this foot belongs to is just waking up, from sleep and
ready to face another day regardless of what lies ahead corruption and injustice. The French
newspaper gives us some context to which country the person is in. The foot appears to be separate
from the body, signifying the independence from the rest of the body, perhaps a metaphors for the
independence and attempt at separation from society, whilst still being connected hence the physical
contact with the newspaper.
Blond Ambition
32
This photo is taken from Blond
Ambition. The photo features Miki Nitadori posing in a blond curly wig, something completely
opposite to her natural hair – dark, long, straight. Her regard goes past the camera lens, she looks
pensive and relaxed. The placement and texture of the wig emphasizes that it is fake, as well her
32
video still, Blond ambition, 4:14 sec, 2008; http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=673269&id=705201988
physical features. Her eyes are clearly Asian as are her eyebrows not blond. The photo has a red back
ground - this is a recurrent theme in blond ambition, as it is also the colour of the Japanese flag. The
Blond colour of the hair and the red skin can be compared to the flag. The colour is a complicated and
expressive, it can be interpreted in various different ways depending on the culture. Blood, violence
and war are strong symbols of the colour red in the west, whereas in Japan red is the colour of a
heroic figure. In any case the red emphasises the painting and draws our attention to the photo. The
position of her face is slightly slanted and we cannot see her mouth, part of her nose or her other eye.
We cannot see her body either. This emphasises the importance of her expression, it is very
expressive, personal and emotional.
Conclusion
From exploring Miki’s work it is evident that there has been a cultural influence on her art and
herself, as an individual. Her art is an expression of who she is, and what she is experiencing through
her life. This is seen through the sitters she chooses, the cross cultural colours and symbols she uses in
her work. It can also be viewed in her experiences with making use of different textiles. However, as
discussed above, the multiculturalism is not just taken from her background; it is also absorbed from
the artists she admires and influenced by styles of painting. Artists like Dada and Yoko Ono have
allowed her to express her multicultural identity through her work. This exposure to a variety of artists
as well as he own personal background has influenced choice of subject, creation of poses, colour,
design, texture of backgrounds, shape, form and philosophy. Therefore the cultural influences have
been multifaceted not only in process but also production, and affect every aspect of herself and her
work as an artist.
Bibliography
Books:
Dada art and anti-art (Hans Richter 1997), Thames and Hudson Ltd, London
Internet sources:
http://www.daneldon.org/about/index.html
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=945131&id=705201988
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=945096&id=705201988
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=458454&id=705201988
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=673269&id=705201988
http://www.mikinitadori.com
http://www.mikinitadori.com/bio.html
http://www.mikinitadori.com/blond-ambition.html
http://www.mikinitadori.com/triumph.html
http://www.mikinitadori.com/introduction.html
http://www.mikinitadori.com/what-is-combat.html
http://www.mikinitadori.com/transfer.html
http://www.oxfordartonline.com:80/subscriber/article/grove/art/T070888
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ink_and_wash_painting
http://www.yoko-ono.com/bio.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqkIJ0odFxA
Appendix 1 – Interview
Hi Miki
As I may have told you, I am writing an Extended Essay for my IB course in Art. I would be very grateful
if you could fill out as soon as possible, as i am running very short for time. If you need any
clarification or have any questions please don’t hesitate to ask me.
Thank you so much for taking your time to participate in my project.
Anna McAndrew
Portraiture33
1) Describe your process of making a portrait.
2) How do you decide the size for your portraits?
3) Who are the sitter(s) in your portraits and why?
4) How do you show through your style emotion/ expression in the sitter?
5) What challenges do you face when you do a portrait on commission compared to a portrait for your
own pleasure?
6) Which artist(s) have influenced you in portraiture and why?
Cultural34
7) Has living in different countries affected your work, if so, how?
8) At what age did you begin a serious interest for Art?
9) If you had to choose one culture, which one do you feel you most belong to?
10) Do you feel your work reflects a particular culture more than another? (of your multicultural
background)
11) Which works strongly reflect your transcultural background?
12) Are there artists from Japan, Thailand or France that you have been inspired to create your work
from?
33
conducted on 15th November 2009
34
Conducted on 07th January 2010
13) How do you choose which material fits the portrait. Do you consider the person, or the sign they
are making, or just what fits? Or a combination. And why did you choose the pink background with
the holy bible in the back ground for that girl?Response
1)Describe your process of making a portrait.
Photography:
Portrait for me is meeting a person that I may know very well (including myself)or I may not
know at all and seeing them as I never had seen through the view finder and sharing something
meaningful that is sincere .
The essence of making portrait is the time that we share. At that moment, the only person exist in the
world is the subject,and photographing is the highest form of adoration on my part. Through this act
of affection I attempt to building the trust of the subject.
This relationship is built through conversation, spending time, or instant adoration. This is
mainly built from mutual respect; I invite the subject to be my partner for an adventure.
I often attempt to provoke the subject to get into our common ground by unexpected physical
position of photographing or things I say.
I try to find the link between the subject and I in an image with in the frame and once I think I
found it I push the shutter of the camera. Sometimes it can be done in a frame or two but most time it
is at least 4 to 36 ( for 35mm reflex camera) and sometimes much more. Photography for me is like
breathing, I can't go faster than my breath and my physical movements.
The advantage of longer shooting (with many frames or larger camera) is more we time we spend, we
get into the physical and mental common space.
Combat:
I photograph myself or ask other people to make a photograph of themselves with
identification photograph booth. Though using the most common photographic tool, I ask myself and
others to confront ourself.
I ask the subject to make a sign of their daily survival through hand gesture in these photographs.
I scan the images and work on the computer to make the graphic interpretation of the
photograph, then print it out on the original size of the image.
I transfer the image onto printed fabric (which for me is the symbolic representation of society)
and stretching the portrait on the canvas.
2) How do you decide the size for your portraits?
Photography:
I decide the final size of the images with experimentation by printing them in different size and
considering the concept of the final work as a series.
It depends on the way I choose to share with public my images, is it through book format, exhibition
format, video format or via web format.
It also has to do with the budget I may have.
It takes me some time to decide the final format, sometimes I show my work as research and may try
out a format and with the experience of this presentation, I may choose another format.
There are also the limitations of the original size of the photograph that may already impose
me the final work.
Combat:
It is a combination of balance of the printed pattern on the textile and the portrait that
determines the size of the image.
3) Who are the sitter(s) in your portraits and why?
Photography:
It is usually people who inspire me. Family and friends at the bases and it can also be someone
I never met. It is also myself. I work with myself because I can do this whenever the inspiration comes
and I understand what I can ask go further with myself.
Combat:
Myself, people in a community that I am link to. This is a way to propose an opportunity to
create a awareness of confrontation with oneself and open a dialogue to what living means.
We consist of individual, close unity and then larger community and it is important to propose people
to experience and think about living.
4) How do you show through your style emotion/ expression in the sitter?
Through communication and unity of the instant for surprises and unexpected.
There is no rules, except combat has already a conceptual element choice that had been developed
before.
(you can read the details on the website). In combat photographs are made by the sitter with my
request of showing the hand gesture, I take out all the detail of a person’s physical aspect to keep the
essence of expressions on the faces and the gestures.
5) What challenges do you face when you do a portrait on commission compared to a portrait for
your own pleasure?
Commission can become difficult when I have to create for larger public where information
needs to be included in image which becomes illustrative. Commission for private person can be very
good as I am paid to create for a person and they leave me the liberty of expression. There can be a
good result because it exist the mutual respect.
6) Which artist(s) have influenced you in portraiture and why?
Artist that influenced me in my works are not people who make portraits necessary. Robert
Rauschenberg, Yoko Ono, dada, ready made, dan eldon, exhibition family of man. For their concern for
the relationship between individual and community.
7) Has living in different countries affected your work, if so, how?
Yes living in the different country had greatly affected my work and my personality. In my work,
I work a lot on the idea of identity which is not as simple issue already but more complex.
I would have probably never made my work if I always lived in Japan, my works are about being in
between cultures as you can see in Blond ambition, paradise lost or triumph, seesaw spotting or even
in combat.
There is always this idea of mixed culture and trying to affirm the existence of living.
8) At what age did you begin a serious interest for Art?
I became interested in art when i was 16. Before that i was not at all artistic. Once again, it has
to do with the difficulty of of expressing myself with languages and being always in between cultures.
Art at this age was the only thing i can count on when everything around was changing fast and it was
my best friend as when i felt alone or unfit.
9) If you had to choose one culture, which one do you feel you most belong to?
I don't choose a culture, i belong to all and i belong to none.
If i make a choice it will be mixture of many things.
10) Do you feel your work reflects a particular culture more than another? (of your multicultural
background)
I don't think it reflects one thing or another as some people will say the way i photograph is
very european and combat with flat surface it feels more Japanese, but they are actually all mixed. I
work a lot on Japan because this is where i come from.
11) Which works strongly reflect your transcultural background?
All, They are all mixed and that is why it is sometimes difficult for the art institution to accept
me because i am too much of everything.
Blond ambition seem as it deals with Japanese identity but it is between , it is always between the
countries.
12) Are there artists from Japan, Thailand or France that you have been inspired to create your work
from?
The artists that i like are/ robert rauschenberg, Yoko ono, among others, i like bits and pieces of
work by diverse people and not very selective, I like tracy amin , sophie calle, annette messager, etc.
But artist my generation friends around me inspire me as well and also history and journalism as well.
13) How do you choose which material fits the portrait. Do you consider the person, or the sign they
are making, or just what fits? Or a combination. And why did you choose the pink background with
the holy bible in the back ground for that girl?
Project 75003 Paris
The Seventy percent of textiles where bought in the 3rd district where the project was
happened.
thirty percent came from other parts of Paris.
The 3rd district is the smallest district in Paris that consists of Chinese and Jewish community , in
addition to French Yuppies on the east side. This gave a diversity of motifs in tissues.
Due to the diversity of the participants, a simple questionnaire consisting of three questions
was applied .
1. What is your favorite color ?
2. What is your favorite textile pattern?
3. Where is your favorite country?
After the photographs were taken I asked them to fill the questionnaire and spoke with everyone to
know a little more about them.
The choice of textiles for each person were based upon these elements.
The one you are talking about , her name is Marie, so it was also influenced by the choice as
Marie , the mother of jesus,
and her expression is also very purified and she is a mother.
I think there was other reasons as in questionaire.
Everything is tested and tested over and over before the final choice, you know it is 5 months
of work for this project.
(7/7 almost 12 hours a day.)