In Conversation
with Itaru Shimamura
Words by Michela Bevivino
Visuals by Itaru Shimamura
Before digging deep with questions about you, we would like to know why you think art is so important to human beings?
Art is primal. Even if art is robbed from the earth one day, someone will start painting again the next day. And someone will sing and set out the rhythm. Primordial, instinctive, if we suppress this emotion, we have no choice but to exist as machines. Above all, art is generous. It accepts all our emotions, states and beings.
When did you start painting and why?
The only thing I was good at since I was a child was painting. I’ve been drawing ever since, but when I was younger I was immersed in music. Recently, I’ve started getting serious about painting.
What are you inviting people to perceive in your paintings? What feelings would you like to evoke in them?
Among the messages people sent me through SMS, the most impressive one was “Your work is overflowing with positive energy.” When I read it, I felt that this was one of the feelings I wanted to convey through my paintings.
Can you tell us some behind the scenes about your artistic process?
When I go to paint, the highest state is “nothingness”. Think nothing, then think well, look nothing, look well, and accept the inspiration from the unfinished state in front of you with a feeling of “nothingness”. Contradictions, detours, drawing and erasing, drawing and changing, after several repetitions I hear fanfare.
Your style is truly recognizable and one of a kind. How would you describe the research process that led you to your personal style?
I am influenced by many things. Not to mention many paintings. I was heavily influenced by movies, poetry, and especially the music I was immersed in. Also, things that I wasn’t particularly conscious of, such as flowers, birds, animals, Japan’s unique culture, and Buddhist statues. Childhood TV shows, anime, trading cards. In other words, even if I don’t consciously think about it, all the things I have encountered along the way have formed my current paintings.
Join the Club
Like our stories?
You’ll (probably) love our newsletter.
@media only screen and (min-width: 981px) { .et_pb_subscribe .et_pb_newsletter_fields > p { flex: auto !important; } .et_pb_subscribe .et_pb_newsletter_fields p.et_pb_newsletter_field { margin-right: 2%; }}Read more
Powered by
Publications
Social
Legal