Ryunosuke Okazaki
Ryunosuke Okazaki is a designer of his own label RYUNOSUKE OKAZAKI born in Hiroshima in 1995. Okazaki finished the Graduate School of Design, Tokyo University of the Arts, in 2021 and held his first runway show, “000,” in September 2021. He was selected as a finalist for “LVMH Prize 2022” in 2022. He is currently based in Tokyo.
https://ryunosukeokazaki.com
Instagram：@ryunosuke.okazaki

Okazaki’s debut show, “000” which showcased the organic beauty of formative art created out of everyday materials, made a significant impact, and his second runway show, “001” marking the label’s second season, vividly made its unique dress style widely known. Immediately after that, he was selected as a finalist for the “LVMH Prize 2022,” which led the designer of “RYUNOSUKEOKAZAKI” to accomplish the remarkable feat of getting an opportunity to present his work in Paris less than a year after his debut. The latest presentation, “002”, his first in about a year, was delivered not in the form of a runway show but a solo exhibition held at the creative space “THE FACE DAIKANYAMA” in Daikanyama. We sat down with him and asked about his thoughts on his new collection in this art gallery-like space with its walls lined with wood sculptures.

–The exhibition’s atmosphere is very different from a fashion show and is more like an art exhibition. Is this the first time for you to exhibit your works on the wall?

Ryunosuke Okazaki (hereafter, Okazaki): Yes, it is. Up until now, I have presented three-dimensional works worn by models, so this is the first time I have exhibited my work in a static form like this. You can hang the pieces with red cloth hanging from the ceiling on the wall. I would be happy if the fans of “Ryunosuke Okazaki” could see a new aspect of my work. Also, this is the first time I used wood.

–I was surprised to see how even a wall-hanging work becomes three-dimensional when you create it.

OKAZAKI: If I had to choose between three-dimensional and two-dimensional, I would go for three-dimensional like this. I layer the parts from various angles and attach them side by side. Then, I make them while imagining symmetrical forms.

–How do you express the idea of symmetry?

OKAZAKI: My oldest source of inspiration for symmetrical forms is the torii gates for the Shinto shrine. I grew up in Miyajimaguchi, Hiroshima, where Itsukushima Shrine was located close. As an elementary school child, I fished and played every day, and I could always see the Torii gate just across the shore. Also, one of my most influential experiences was making a bright red Torii gate out of piles of cardboard when I was in kindergarten. I found torii gate really cool, and even as a child, I had a vague but special feeling about it.

–Historically speaking, some in the architectural world have considered asymmetry to be humanistic.

OKAZAKI: Certainly, if you look at architectural styles in both Japan and the West, there are a lot of asymmetrical structures. On the other hand, there is a sense of order and will in symmetric things, and I sense life in them. This sensation is instinctive. Technically, all living creatures, including humans and insects, are asymmetrical, but if you look at their overall forms, they tend to be symmetrical.

Working on artwork with wood

–The name of your new series of works using wood is “PIMT.” What does it mean? 

OKAZAKI: I coined this word by combining the first letters of “Perception,” “Intention,” “Material,” and “Time.” The “time” of “perceiving” the material, sensing the “intention” behind the form, and creating with the “material” is connected to the act of “prayer” that I cherish within myself. So I call it “PIMTO,” and I also like its sound.

–The sound of the word “JOMONJOMON” (a series of dresses inspired by Jomon earthenware) is also impressive.

OKAZAKI: Thank you. Yeah, I put importance on sound because artworks are something to be loved.

–It’s interesting that even when the textile is replaced by wood, your work is easily recognizable as “RYUNOSUKE OKAZAKI.” Is the production process the same?

OKAZAKI: It’s precisely the same. I’m working on various materials as if breathing life into my works. Each piece has its own personality, and I feel as if it is alive.

–I heard that you don’t make drawings. Is it right?

OKAZAKI: I create forms fortuitously by moving my hands. It’s probably the same as how I paint. A painting never ends, does it? My dresses never end as well. How the creation process ends changes according to the level of experience. Experiences introduced to my hands affect how they move, which is reflected in my work. Interestingly, my work is completed when people wear it.

–What made you decide to work with wood in the first place?

Okazaki: It all started when I visited Nikko Toshogu Shrine last April. The wooden structure I saw there struck me immensely. Kigumi is a traditional Japanese construction method used by temple carpenters to build shrines and temples. In my case, I did not use the original form of kigumi, but I was inspired by the process of assembling the wood, how the structure looked when they were put together, and how colorful they were.

–As you mentioned, you’ve got a lot of colorful pieces. The moment I saw them, I thought they looked like Gundam.

OKAZAKI: I get that response a lot. Actually, I have never seen any Gundam anime, but I suppose there’s some connection. I think Japanese culture is good at designing and inventing imaginary creatures, which I think has something to do with our long history of finding the existence of gods in nature. I personally feel that robot animation is also connected to the Japanese culture of prayer, so perhaps it is inevitable that my works look like Gundam.

–And you have created a lot.

OKAZAKI: Actually, there are many more works behind this exhibition venue that I haven’t exhibited yet. I have been working on them since the end of the LVMH Prize exhibition I participated in last year.

–So you’ve been working with wood for almost a year?

Okazaki: Along with the wooden pieces, I also created dress works. The time I spent working with the fabric and the time I spent working with the wood were well-balanced, and the dresses became more sculptural and delicate. This time, since no models would wear them, I could create works that are even taller than I am, with more freedom. Creating a space that allows viewers to face the pieces is an important mode of expression for me.

–Are you working in your studio? 

OKAZAKI: Yes. Ensuring adequate space is such a challenge because many of the works are huge. Among all, I am probably the one who is most pleased to be able to stand in front of my own artworks and face them in this way. I hope many people will see them.

I will keep following my path without distinguishing between fashion and art.

–Your works have been all unique pieces, right? And will they always be?

OKAZAKI: Yes. I’m sure they will continue to be so because I want to communicate with my works, and I also want to connect with the people who see them. So I will keep on creating my pieces, focusing on demonstrating what I feel at the time.

–You have been fascinated with the fashion world since you were a middle school student. So what kind of fashion style were you, a person born in 1995, looking at?

OKAZAKI: I don’t remember a specific fashion label, but I watched many collection videos and fashion magazines and liked to wear the clothes myself. I was attracted to the appearance of fashion style rather than the context of mode. What I was struck by, within collection footage, was something like people didn’t look like people at all, people who seem to be liberated and become wilder, and people in artificial forms.

–You were interested in the act of dressing itself? 

OKAZAKI: Yeah, I was. The art-piece-like outfits you see in fashion shows, in particular, express the essential part of dressing, which links to the question of what kind of things human beings living on the earth wear. People are part of nature, and the Japanese, in particular, are creatures who have been conscious of this. My interest in fashion, especially as a student, was based on my childhood experience, such as catching insects, fishing, and drawing pictures in nature. The fact that I was born in Hiroshima and that my theme is “prayer” is also all connected.

–You have become known worldwide since the debut with “000”. What kind of people have approached you? 

Okazaki: Those of the fashion industry. And their interest opened up my possibility. The experience of being selected as a finalist for the LVMH Prize and presenting my work in Paris meant a lot to me. I want to show my work in Paris again, and I would also like to present my art pieces in New York. The fashion and art markets are different, so a line is drawn between them, but I wouldn’t make any distinction between them. Creators should be freer and should pursue what they like. I have many goals, so I want to focus on intensifying the power of my work, creating and communicating in various places.

–Is there anything you are planning for this year?

OKAZAKI: I will continue to create as always. The works I will present in this process will surely connect me with the world.

–So will this sequential-numbered series go like 003, 004, and so on?

OKAZAKI: Yeah. I want to work on this at least until 100 throughout my life. At the time when I started with “000,” which became a turning point for me, I was already determined to do it up to three digits. Precisely because these simple sequential numbers are given to my works as titles, they express even more vividly the fact that I will be creating history through my life and continuous artistic practice.

Translation Shinichiro Sato
Photography Tameki Oshiro

The post Interview with Fashion Designer Ryunosuke Okazaki: On Vital Instincts Expressed through Symmetrical Forms and Solo Sculpture Exhibition “002” in Resonance with Prayer  appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

So, what kind of people are origami artists? Like most creative professions, there is no clear definition, but one possible answer is whether or not they have any published work. If there is a creative work (and a development or folding diagram showing its structure) published in a book or in media, the author can be said to be an origami artist. In Japan, there are several dozen well-known origami artists.

Arisawa Yuga is one of those artists, and is unique in that he is also involved in papermaking. He works as a handmade washi craftsman in a workshop in Mino, Gifu Prefecture, a famous paper-producing area since the Nara period. Following part one of our interview on the genealogy of modern origami and his unique creative style, in part two, we interview him about his commitment and career from the perspective of paper-making.

Responding to the paper’s energy

–– When folding complex origami, commercial origami paper is probably not suitable due to its lack of size and strength.

Yuga Arisawa: In my case, I ran into that problem when I was in middle school. I scoured different stationary stores, until I found one called Kami no Megumi in Sapporo. This store sells paper made by a washi paper dyeing artist named Naoaki Sakamoto. Mr. Sakamoto’s energetic activities include visiting papermaking sites around the world and dyeing paper while feeling the atmosphere of each place. He lives in Tokyo and has a store in Hakusan (Bunkyo-ku) called Paper Nao. Kami no Megumi is the only store in Japan that specializes in his paper, and it happens to be located in my hometown! It was so cool that I saved my allowance to buy a piece of paper and hung it up in my room.

–– Did your encounter with that caliber of paper change your approach to origami?

Arisawa: The more I observed Mr. Sakamoto’s paper, the more they started looking like things, like reptiles and animals. It felt like the paper had shapes they wanted to be, so I started to fold it into those shapes based on that association.

–– It’s a rare process for an origami artist.

Arisawa: Perhaps it is.

–– Are you drawn to the energy of nature? Paper is derived from nature, afterall.

Arisawa: Paper definitely possesses its own energy, as does nature. They’ve accumulated stories by being passed through the hands of many people. All the paper in Japan up until the Edo period was 100% natural. The paper I’m making now is as close to Edo period paper as possible. There are currently only a few dozen or so papermaking workshops using this method of papermaking in Japan.

The essence of paper as an option

–– Please tell us more about the paper production process at Corsoyard.

Arisawa: You may often hear pulp being used as a raw material for paper, but pulp is made by crushing tree trunks and collecting its fibers. Traditional Japanese paper is made from the bark of trees, not the trunk. The peeled bark is blanched, the black and sweet bark on the surface scraped off and boiled to remove the scum, and the remaining dust and hard fibers are removed by hand, leaving only soft, unraveled fibers. This prep takes around two weeks. During the papermaking stage, a thickening agent is added from a plant called aibika. This acts as a lotion and prevents the fibers from sticking to each other, allowing the paper to be made uniformly. This thickening is called neri and is gone once the paper is made.

–– Ancient Japanese paper is made purely from 100% wood fiber.

Arisawa: Exactly. One of the weaknesses of aibiki thickening is that it’s very susceptible to bacteria, and in the Showa period, it became standard practice to mix formalin, cresol, and other preservatives and disinfectants into the paper. Nowadays, I believe there are more workshops that use at least one chemical in their production process, even if they make handmade washi. But it’s clearly unnatural for humans, so we decided to discontinue the use of such chemicals. Instead, we keep it fresh by storing it in the freezing temperatures of a refrigerator.

–– What are the characteristics of natural paper?

Arisawa: There are many great things about it. Paper without impurities becomes better the more it breathes. It gets stronger and whiter with time.

–– Is that true?! I always thought old paper turned yellow.

Arisawa: Yellowing is due to the chemicals in the paper that burn. If it’s 100% fiber shoji paper, it will become whiter after three to five years as it’s bleached by the sun. Also, because it absorbs and emits moisture, the hydrogen bonds between the fibers become stronger, and become even stronger with time. Shoji screens can be used for more than ten years in good condition. That is the original form of paper.

For example, many medieval European Bibles deteriorate because European paper has always been a mixture of various kinds of paper. Japanese paper is the ultimate in this regard. It’s made up of nothing but fibers, so even if it deteriorates, it rarely rots. In the Edo period, paper craftsmen used to re-make paper no matter how used it was. When it’s natural, it’s infinitely recyclable.

–– In today’s world where papermaking is mechanized, natural paper is a luxury item. Where do you see the need for and potential of this product?

Arisawa: I hope it reaches those who want it. Currently, I make paper two or three times a month. I think that’s much less often than most places, but if you make paper at that pace, the tools last longer and you don’t use as much raw material. Even in the Edo period, paper was a luxury item.

Foldable leather, 3D origami

–– You’re inventing paper made solely for origami.

Arisawa: There are different options for origami paper, just like how there are choices for regular paper. The paper we’re making today, called “FO-01,” is a mixture of paper mulberry and gampi, which are raw materials for paper, in the original ratio. To put it simply, paper mulberry fibers have a layer of air that creates strong and thick paper, but they can easily get fuzzy, making them unsuitable for detailed origami work. Gampi, on the other hand, has dense, flat fibers that make for crisp paper, but it’s too thin and difficult to fold because it can’t be made thick. By mixing the two in the right combination, we can create a paper that is strong, has little fuzziness, and can make sharp folds.

–– What kind of person buys this product?

Arisawa: For the first two years when we sold the paper as whole sheets (approx. 64 x 98 cm), it did not sell at all. But by cutting it into 15 cm and 30 cm squares and packaging them by type, it began to sell well, especially online. “FO-01″ is very popular when we bring it to events. Elementary school students who love origami come to buy it with their parents. It makes me happy to see that the younger generation is interested in it.

–– Your creative work starts with origami. Do you do designs with things other than paper?

Arisawa: I do, like Kobe beef skin. We were told by the Kobe Leather Cooperative that they were having trouble using skins that were ineligible for leather craft, so we worked together to develop thin leather that could be utilized for origami. And last year, I designed a pleated skirt for Steven Alan by United Arrows. Most recently, I worked with Bandai to create 3D scanned gacha toys of my origami works, with five types of toys which include cats and elephants. You can find the folding diagrams for each one on Bandai’s website.

–– I tried folding the gacha toy origami. It was too difficult despite its cute appearance and I gave up on it…

Arisawa: (Laughs). That’s the exact situation depicted in the title of my book (KawaiI! Keredo Muzukashisugiru Origami). That makes me happy.

–– Were there reactions from international audiences?

Arisawa: As an origami artist, my books are selling. I got an order of several dozen books from China through Twitter. Recently, origami has gained popularity in South Korea as well, and young artists are publishing books among their peers. Korean paper is also good to fold.

–– Papermaking and origami. It seems that there are many possibilities when you have two professions.

Arisawa: I want to keep making paper while there is still a need for handmade washi paper. Our clients, such as paper lantern or uchiwa fan craftsmen, are also professionals who use paper, which is why we sometimes receive complaints. But our skills grow through those interactions. In the past two years, I’ve been handling everything from papermaking to shipping, but the number of orders has not dropped. I think we’ve grown under pressure. At the same time, I receive offers for origami from companies in completely different industries, and in between papermaking, I design and write books at home at night… Everyday is tough, but what I realize again is that origami is still an untapped field as a job. That’s why I believe that origami has a future.

Yuga Arisawa
Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido in 1997. He first encountered origami in kindergarten and began tackling complex origami at the age of twelve, when he started working creatively. After graduating from high school in 2016, he became an apprentice at Corsoyard, a Mino handmade washi studio, where he now develops and designs products utilizing both origami and handmade washi. He is the author of Origami Oji no Kawaii! Keredo Muzukashisugiru Origami (2019/KADOKAWA) and Origami Oji no Sugo Waza! Origami (2020/Kawade Shobo Shinsha), and Origami Oji no Sugo Waza! Origami Japonism (scheduled for release in October 2022/Kawade Shobo Shinsha). His nickname “Prince of Origami” took root after his appearance on “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai.” He has collaborated with Bandai, Meiji, Rolls-Royce, United Arrows, and many other companies.

Photography & Videography Shin Araki
Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Origami Has a Future: Interview with Artist/Handmade Washi Craftsman, Yuga Arisawa Part 2 appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

Super complex had its first boom in the 2000s. “TV Champion National Origami King Competition” (1999~) first triggered its popularity. The year 2008, when Origami champion Satoshi Kamiya appeared for his fifth consecutive championship, can be said to be the peak of this boom. That same year, University of Tokyo’s Origami Circle, Orist, was also founded, and in the 2010s, when the theoretical school of origami took over, the next generation of kids to carry the future of origami were steadily growing up all over Japan. We interviewed one of those children, Yuga Arisawa. He has been involved in the art of complex origami since his junior high school days. In the process, he became fascinated with the appeal of paper itself, and apprenticed at a handmade washi workshop upon graduating high school. He is possibly the only origami artist in Japan who starts his craft from paper making (he also grows his own plants, used as the raw material for his paper).

While the TV Champion team of the 2000s were revered as origami kings, Yuga Arisawa is commonly known and loved as origami prince (named after his appearance on “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai.”) In recent years, he has received a slew of offers from companies to collaborate, and is increasing his presence in origami beyond genres, such as designing 3D gacha (Bandai), official mascots and logos (Rolls-Royce, Mount Rainier), and pleated skirts (United Arrows). He is now 24 years old. In Part I, we speak with him about the appeal and possibilities of contemporary origami as we take a closer look at his hybrid works.

First encounter with Origami

–– When did you first start origami?

Yuga Arisawa: When I was in kindergarten. Same time as everyone else. At the time, origami was all in books available at bookstores and libraries, so I thought there was nothing I couldn’t fold. That confidence quickly shattered when I watched “TV Champion National Origami Championship” when I was in the third grade. I was shocked to see how complex origami could be, and became more and more fascinated with it.

–– What were you folding when you were in elementary school?

Arisawa: When I was in fifth grade, I learned that there was a collection of works by Satoshi Kamiya, the “TV Champion” winner, and begged my parents to order it online through the publisher, Origami House. From there, I got hooked on the complex art of origami and began to create my own original works in middle school.

–– Mr. Satoshi Kamiya is the leading expert on super complex origami, isn’t he?

Arisawa: That’s right. At that time, I don’t think there was any other artist who could manipulate complexity on the level of Mr. Kamiya.His pace of creation was also very fast, so there were new works coming out constantly. That alone gave me goosebumps, but when I actually folded complex origami, the beauty of the structure was more shocking than anything.

–– “Ancient Dragon,” which is the cover of his first collection of works, and “Ryujin” are considered some of Mr. Kamiya’s representative works. And for you, “Azul Dragon” and “IBUKI” (pictured above). Are dragons a theme that many origami artists want to challenge themselves with?

Arisawa: Each origami artist certainly has his or her own dragon. One reason may be that dragons are easy to recognize at a glance. In the generation before mine, origami clubs at famous universities like Tokyo University, Waseda University, and Kyoto University became popular. At that time, origami theory evolved considerably, and works incorporating revolutionary structures emerged. However, it was difficult for the general public to understand the significance of these works. I’ve also continued my research on structure, but when I show my best works to my friends and family, their reactions are not so good at times. On the other hand, dragons have a complex structure but still look good and are easy to understand.

–– Your style includes many unique characters. Your works like “Christmas Tsurue” (Christmas tree x crane), “Kadomatsuru” (Kadomatsu x crane), and “Witch Tsuru,” which are all variations of the origami crane that everyone knows, are very popular.

Arisawa: That’s right. There’s also ”horse person” (*the body is a human and the face is a horse), which was a common character during my blogging days. The response was so overwhelmingly positive that it became a series. I sometimes let the character carry instruments like clarinets and trombones. I like that the works themselves look fun.

From traditional origami to modern origami

–– The original form of origami is simple, easy to understand, and enjoyable for everyone. The genealogy of origami can be traced back to an artist named Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005). He was born in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and I believe he was a pioneer who led origami, which until then had a flat and straight structure, into the creative world of three-dimensional & curved paper. His structures were still simple and organic, though.

Arisawa: Mr. Yoshizawa is considered the father of modern origami. I’m also interested in older styles of origami, and once went to see an exhibition of Mr. Yoshizawa’s works held after his death. He was the first person to bring the concept of creation to origami. I believe the popularity of origami overseas can be traced back to his influence, as well. Considering the historical background of the time when only fixed folding methods existed, the quality of his work is truly amazing.

–– After a little research, I found out that for half a century from the 1950s into his later years, Mr. Yoshizawa traveled to 54 countries around the world under the dispatch of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Japan Foundation to promote Japanese art to the world.

Arisawa: That was quite recent, wasn’t it? The generation that grew up watching Mr. Yoshizawa’s origami nurtured the next generation, and then the next… this has been a trend in contemporary origami for the past several decades. In the midst of this trend, there are also artists who sometimes bring about new changes.

–– Any examples?

Arisawa: Jun Maekawa began “designing” origami with a structure called the angle system, which can be used to theoretically design origami by constructing a consistent diagram using only nuclei that are multiples of 22.5 degrees, which is four equal parts of 90 degrees. Until then, most origami was folded in the gurai-ori style, in which the paper is folded at a rough estimate, until the artist is satisfied. After the advent of Mr. Maekawa, origami became something to be designed. Most of today’s origami is based on Maekawa’s foundation.

Then there’s also Satoshi Kamiya. Like me, there are still many kids who got into origami because of Mr. Kamiya’s influence, and we are now at a point where “Ancient Dragon” is being folded in the first grade. It was unthinkable just ten years ago. I’m so envious of this new generation.

Into the realm of more than just making shapes

–– How do you see the potential of origami? First off, can you make a living from origami?

Arisawa: Although one can make money through book publishing and workshops, I don’t think there are any artists in Japan who are making a living purely from their creations. Origami has become an art form in other countries, though, so it’s more of a viable business there.

–– Origami is also more talked about in the context of art overseas, and seems to possess a wider range of expression there.

Arisawa: I think that’s true. A piece of paper folded in a corner can be considered origami in other countries. In the origami we’re exploring, there’s first a desired form, and then it’s all about how to fold it out. That process is fun. That’s why I’m not so attached to the finished product as an origami artist.

–– How do you store the large number of works you have created so far?

Arisawa: I’ve been packing them into containers and cardboard boxes. Paper tends to fall apart easily, so by storing all of my works in one box, each piece supports each other and acts as buffers. I never display them in my room so that they maintain their condition.

–– So contemporary origami is more a world of design than of craftsmanship?

Arisawa: Origami as a job is mostly about design. For example, a request I received from Rolls-Royce in the fall of 2019 was to design the Spirit of Ecstasy (Rolls-Royce’s iconic bonnet ornament) origami and do a performance during the exhibition. I also drew the origami diagrams to be handed out to exhibition visitors, created the graphics for the posters, printed them on my own handmade paper, and delivered them myself.

–– One of the characteristics of origami artists is that when they create something, they show all the details of their work to the public. The work is done right up to the point of folding it into a diagram.

Arisawa: It’s the same with publishing a book. A book published by an origami artist takes an enormous amount of time because it involves more than 1,500 steps in total to create a picture. Origamists can make origami without a fold diagram, just by using a diagram with only fold lines. Advanced users can usually fold it just by looking at the finished product.

–– Like playing music by ear?

Arisawa: Exactly. Origami artists call this the nirami fold (stare fold), where you stare at the finished product and fold it while anticipating the folding pattern.

–– I didn’t know that was possible… In the world of origami where there are many skilled artists, you’re unique in that you are also a craftsman and make your own paper.

Arisawa: Ever since I was a child when I started creating, I was more interested in paper itself than creating interesting shapes. Paper created by human hands has an energy to it, and I merely transform it in the direction that makes the most of that energy. That’s how I always feel when creating origami. I wanted to try handmade washi because I sought to find the ideal paper for origami, but above all because I wanted to create something from scratch. I wanted to figure out how to not only transform a piece of paper, but how to create the paper itself. I thought I could do something unique by starting from the paper-making process. (Continued in Part 2)

Yuga Arisawa
Born in Sapporo, Hokkaido in 1997. He first encountered origami in kindergarten and began tackling complex origami at the age of twelve, when he started working creatively. After graduating from high school in 2016, he became an apprentice at Corsoyard, a Mino handmade washi studio, where he now develops and designs products utilizing both origami and handmade washi. He is the author of Origami Oji no Kawaii! Keredo Muzukashisugiru Origami (2019/KADOKAWA) and Origami Oji no Sugo Waza! Origami (2020/Kawade Shobo Shinsha), and Origami Oji no Sugo Waza! Origami Japonism (scheduled for release in October 2022/Kawade Shobo Shinsha). His nickname “Prince of Origami” took root after his appearance on “Matsuko no Shiranai Sekai.” He has collaborated with Bandai, Meiji, Rolls-Royce, United Arrows, and many other companies.

Translation Mimiko Goldstein

The post Creating Origami from Scratch: Interview with Origami Artist/Handmade Washi Craftsman, Yuga Arisawa – Part 1 appeared first on TOKION - Cutting edge culture and fashion information.

While Saint Laurent doesn’t use many words to represent itself, the brand’s connection to art runs deep. It has collaborated with numerous photographers, film directors, and artists. SELF 07 is a tangible manifestation of the brand’s various connections and interpretive expression of its roots. The details of each exhibition space were highlighted, and they all had a tree planted in the center. In each of the six cities, photos surrounded the respective trees as though they were there from the start. The present state of Saint Laurent, which encapsulates complex elements such as countries, cities, cultures, individuals in said cities, and fashion, was brought to the forefront through the eyes of six photographers living in the city. 

SELF is an art series curated by Anthony Vaccarello. It launched in 2018 with Daido Moriyama showcasing his photos at Paris Photo, and the seventh one was held this year in collaboration with Magnum Photos, a photographic cooperative. Takashi Homma partook in the project in Tokyo as a guest photographer. 

The exhibition in Tokyo was in the middle of the grassy rooftop of Miyashita Park in Shibuya. Once you entered the circular pop-up space, on the left, you could see images of buildings projected onto the wall facing Shibuya station via a camera obscura. Since the beginning of his career, Takashi Homma has been implementing the camera obscura technique. For SELF 07, he used a hotel room in the city as though it were a camera to capture the scenery outside the window. For a brief second, I felt like the images taking up the room with zero light, aside from one tiny hole the size of a button, seemed to align with the rest of SELF 07’s presentation. But the space didn’t have a roof, so the big sky hovered above the camera obscura wall. It was sadly raining on the first day, but the bright sun illuminated the space on the last day, offering a view I had never seen before. On the opposite wall were ten photos of the cityscape and a man and woman modeling Saint Laurent’s clothes, randomly exhibited without picture frames. 

“I take photos of things I can only take in the present and will last for generations” 

–The city and fashion coexisted in your exhibited photos; I could immediately tell they were yours. 

Takashi Homma (Homma): When I was approached to participate in this project, the first question I asked was if I could take the photos in my usual style. They said, “Of course. That’s why we chose you.” It’s not my style to take rock-ish photos with a white background. In that respect, Daido Moriyama-san’s photos matched Saint Laurent’s ethos. 

–You’ve taken many photos focusing on Tokyo as a city.

Homma: I have. Whenever people abroad ask me to take photos, I get asked to capture a “story about Tokyo.” I shoot the city and models wearing clothes and do the layout by myself. My style never changes regardless of the media platform or brand.

–It was refreshing to see you adding monochromatic photos to your exhibition.

Homma: That was a new thing I tried. 

–I feel that symbolic elements stood out in your photos more than usual, such as roads, crossings, guardrails, and signs. 

Homma: I said something like, “Our actions are limited and shaped by the pressure of the city of Tokyo” in the press release. 

–Signs used to direct people caught my eye in Harry Gruyaert’s photos, which he took at an airport in Paris. What do you think about the other participating photographers’ city photos?

Homma: I was impressed by the photos taken in Paris because they were fully realized. It was interesting how the photos were shown in six different places simultaneously. The exhibitions were only for four days, so I wanted to go to each one and see the other photographers’ works. Only if that were possible. It’d be fun if you could see all the photos together virtually. 

–Because Magnum captures decisive moments in time while you welcome unpredictable factors that enter the frame, I initially felt that your approach was at odds with theirs. It was an unexpected match. 

Homma: I wonder. It’s not like our directions are entirely different. Fashion photography is documentary photography. I take photos of clothes and models in the moment; I take photos of things I can only take in the present and will last for generations.

Takashi Homma
Takashi Homma lived in London from 1991 to 1992 and worked for the culture magazine i-D. He received the 24th Kimura Ihei Commemorative Photography Award in 1999 for Tokyo Suburbia (Korinsha Press). From 2011 to 2012, Homma held a solo exhibition, New Documentary, in three museums in the country. His books include Tanoshii Shashin, and his recent collections of works include The Narcissistic City and Trails, both published by Mack. In 2019, Homma published Symphony: Mushrooms from the Forest and Looking Through – Le Corbusier Windows. He currently works as a visiting professor in the graduate school of Tokyo Zokei University.

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Coco Capitán is a Spanish artist whose collaboration with Gucci for the Fall/Winter 2017-18 collection with her handwritten messages left striking impression on us. While studying at the Royal College of Art in London, Coco Capitán began a photography internship to earn a living and soon after she broke through as a star who would even work on campaigns for brands all over the world. In addition to her photography, her writing (#cococapitanwriting) has come into the spotlight now. Her simple, straightforward handwritings are like child’s doodles, yet the implications of them are even philosophical. 

This is her first solo exhibition in Japan. At the entrance of PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO in Shibuya, we were greeted by three large flags. The two-dimensional objects, which she had presented only as a form of sketche, have three-dimensional substances here, fluttering in the non-blowing wind.

“I figured if I was going to exhibit in Japan, it would be in photography.”

— I heard that NAÏVY is a series of work that you have been photographing for 10 years. This exhibition is titled “(definitive) photographs.” Is this the culmination or final chapter of your work?

Coco Capitán (Capitán): Yes, that’s right. But rather than taking photos over a period of 10 years under a specific theme, it was an attempt to find a connection between my inner feelings and the personal photos I have taken over the past 10 years. I think that these 50 photos summarize my feelings in a better way.

— NAÏVY traveled to London (2020) and Amsterdam (2021), and this is your first solo exhibition in Japan. What are the common threads that run through the three exhibitions? And did you get any new perspectives? 

Capitán: I have been working on the same concept, so they have the same title, but all the prints I am showing in Tokyo are ones I prepared specifically for this exhibition. I have always wanted to show my work in Japan. 

There are a lot Japanese artists whom I admire, and I am also interested in the history of Japan. I also feel that there is a large audience in Japan that has a sensibility to photography. So I wanted to have a solo exhibition in Japan that focuses on the format of photography.

— More specifically, which Japanese artists do you like? 

Capitán: My favorite Japanese photographer is Shomei Toumatsu. I am attracted to his series of photographs of Okinawa. Specifically, one of my favorite is his book Chewing Gum and Chocolate. I also like Daido Moriyama very much. I am also interested in traditional Ukiyoe prints. I like the man who painted the Big Wave. I can’t recall his name right now though.

— He is Hokusai Katsushika. 

Capitán: Yeah, Hokusai. Shomei, Daido and Hokusai. They are my three favorites.

— You once described yourself as a “New traditionalist photographer” on your Twitter profile page (she also posted a screenshot of it on Instagram on January 14, 2013). How do you engage with tradition of photography and art? 

Capitán: I am interested in learning more about traditional forms. With any kind of art, I think it is very important to learn the technical basis to be able to become more creative. I call myself a “new traditionalist” because the methods I practice are very traditional. I still use a film camera, and I had to learn the old-school way of doing things, from choosing and using lenses to developing the film. I believe that only when you master the basics of the technique, you have a lot of freedom and can play with newer elements to create something fresher.

— Why did you choose to study at the Royal College of Art in London? 

Capitán: I grew up in a small town in the south of Spain called Seville and moved to London when I was 18. I have loved art and culture since I was a child, and I always dreamed of living in a big city where I could meet people with similar interests. The choices were New York or London. I chose London because it is close to Spain and international enough.

— How did you start your career as a photographer? 

Capitán: Although I have loved photography since I was a child, I never thought of pursuing my career in it. When I moved to London, I wanted to be an artist. But I still had a vague idea of what kind of artist I wanted to be. So I went to art school (Royal College of Art) and majored in photography in addition to fine art. 

Since I was financially independent at the age of 18, I started working as a photographer as an internship while attending school. It was a practical choice to earn money, but I really enjoyed the work. And then the jobs started coming in. My career as a photographer started just by accident. My focus has always been on fine art, and my introduction to photography was much more casual.

“I find it a bit boring to focus only on one thing.”

— In addition to photography, you use a variety of media, including writing, painting, and installation. Do these media complement each other, or do they work together in a collaborative way? 

Capitán: I just really like to try new things. I find it a bit boring to focus only on one thing. Some people think it’s better to stick to one theme, but I am not very much interested in obtaining excellent techniques or becoming authority through it. For me, art is a process of trying out many different media and facing my limitations within them. In doing so, I want to convey a message through various media. I want to continue to jump from painting to photography then to writing and see how they interconnect with each other. That is why I like exhibitions that allow many forms to coexist in one space. I choose them in a casual way to allow them to fill up each other’s presence and concept.

— Your writing work is characterized by a mix of capital letters and mirrored letters. They are written in an nostalgic and endearing style. Is this a style that has remained unchanged since you were a child, or did you discover it in the process of pursuing art? 

Capitán: I have always carried a notebook with me since I was a child. Since I was very shy, it was difficult for me to express my thoughts in words, so I would write down my thoughts and feelings and then practice putting them into words. I also drew pictures, but these were just typical of what children would draw.

I think my interest in photography also began around that time. I collected clippings from magazines and books, categorized them in a way that was easy for me to understand, and pasted them in my notebook. I would give each one a title and add a caption that explains why I liked it. There were many such notebooks. It was just like my own personal Google database.

— It seems that it is the origin of the mixed media artwork of photography and writing.

Capitán: I never thought that my writing would become a form of art. Like photography, writing started unexpectedly. When I was a student, I began to think seriously about my own artwork, and I started writing as a way to better understand how I felt about my art. When I showed them to my friends, many of them showed more interest in my writings than in my artworks. Then I started sharing my writings online (#cococapitanwriting). My collaboration with Gucci (Fall-Winter 2017-18) started out very casually. I originally worked for Gucci as a photographer, and one day Alessandro Michele saw my notebook and liked it. He asked me if I would be interested in doing their campaign with my writing instead of with my photos.

— The campaign for Gucci made you well known, and your Instagram currently has over 200,000 followers. The established style of 2 photo posts + 1 writing post is a composition that can be enjoyed as a work of art. 

Capitán: For me, it used to be a more personal or casual platform that has research aspect, but it has grown very large with a larger number of followers. Now it’s more business oriented, where you can see some of the finished work and the process. 

It’s a little too serious or not natural for me, and I sometimes find it boring. I wish there was a more playful platform, but Instagram is an interesting format where I can link writing, painting, and photography, so I will continue to use it.

— You mentioned that you do your research on Instagram, but how do you deal with or play with the Internet? Looking at your work, all of your photographs are hand-printed, and you often take an organic approach, such as embroidery on objects. 

Capitán: Being able to connect with people is one of the advantages of the Internet, especially for me, growing up in a small town, it was a very useful tool at first. However, social media is designed to be addictive, so we tend to be constrained by it. I think that can be the ruin of creativity. So I try not to get too carried away by it. When I get home, I close the Instagram app. When I post a few times a week, I don’t reload to follow the feeds. When I’m in the studio, I put my phone in a drawer and focus on reading or spending time with others. 

For example, many people fill their time waiting for the bus with digital stuff because they think it’s boring, but I don’t think it’s really boring. Ideas come from turning something over in your mind. It is important to be able to see what is happening around you.

— It reminds me of the fact that a lot of your photos are taken from the observer’s point of view.

Capitán: You can stare at the people around you on subways in London and no one will notice because people are all absorbed in their smartphones. I think I could do a series of photos of people who don’t notice when they are being photographed, if I wanted to. 

“Personal and commercial coexist separately.”

— Let’s just talk about NAÏVY again. What are you trying to capture in your photographs? Please share any thoughts you have. I know the subjects are people who are close to you. The back views of them and the close-ups of the parts of their body are impressive.

Capitán: It’s improvisation. Of course I sometimes try to create an environment that facilitates good photos, but basically I don’t prepare. The subjects are close friends and partners, and I think the images capture their personalities well. The more they are distracted by something else than the camera I have, the more the essence of their personality comes out. I like to capture those moments. I tend to shoot a lot of back shots, probably because I like to observe people. It may also be related to the fact that I am very particular about details. If a person is facing forward, there is so much information in it that I tend to lose sight of the smallest details. NAÏVY is a very personal work. When it comes to commercial work, I need to be more specific, so I sometimes make sketches to prepare for it in advance. 

— Is there any difference in technique between personal work and commercial photography? 

Capitán: Would you like to hear about the cameras I use? My camera collection mostly consists of ones made in Japan. Almost all of my commercial work is done with the Contax 645. The reason is that I can take a lot of pictures quickly. It is a medium format camera that can take 16 negatives, has autofocus and a fast shutter speed. To be ready to shoot at any time, I have my assistants compete with each other to be the one who can load a new film the most quickly. However, because it is heavy, it is not suitable for personal use. For personal shoots, I want to have a more romantic relationship with the camera. I recently bought a Contax Aria, which is lightweight and easy to carry around. I love the flexibility of 35mm films. I usually prefer medium format and I like the beautiful lens of “FUJIFILM GF670”. Before that, I used to use LEICA R6. 

— you seem to enjoy both commercial and personal photography. 

Capitán: What is the best for me is a combination of both. I like to balance both at the same time, each in a completely different way. 

— Are there any places you would like to visit during your stay in Tokyo? 

Capitán: I have a lot of places listed in my notebook. I’m trying to organize them because I’ve been so busy before and after my visit to Japan. What I would like to see is the normal life of people. I would like to see not only the city, but also the suburban areas, and see the daily life of people living there. 

Coco Capitán
Coco Capitán was born in Seville, Spain in 1992. She completed her MA in Photography with distinction at the Royal College of Art in London in 2016. Her artistic practice spans the worlds of fine art and commercial art, which includes photography, painting, installation, and writing. Recent solo exhibitions include Naïvy (Maximilian William Gallery, London, 2021), Busy Living (European Museum of Photography, Paris, 2020), Is It Tomorrow Yet? (Daelim Museum, Seoul, 2019), and the group exhibition Infinite Identities (Musee de la Photographie de Haïs Marseille, Amsterdam, 2020). Her photography books include Naïvy, If You’ve Seen It All CloseYour Eyes, and Middle Point Between My House and China.
https://cococapitan.co.uk
Instagram：＠cococapitan

Photography Mayumi Hosokura
Translation Shinichiro Sato

■Coco Capitán Exhibition NAÏVY: in fifty (definitive) photographs
The long-awaited first solo exhibition in Japan follows in the footsteps of Naïvy, her solo exhibition that opened in London during pandemic in 2020 and travelled to Amsterdam last year. The exhibition focuses on her constantly evolving artistic practice as a photographer, and showcases 50 photographs, the complete version of the recently completed Naïvy series, along with various found objects created by Capitán herself, for the first time in Japan. 
Dates: April 15 – May 9
Venue: PARCO MUSEUM TOKYO 
Address: Shibuya Parco 4F, 15-1 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 
Time: 11:00 – 20:00 
*Close at 18:00 on the last day 
*Entrance until 30 minutes before closing 
Admission: ¥800 
https://art.parco.jp/museumtokyo/detail/?id=938

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