AS IS | Kohei Kondo

Artist

Based in Ibaraki, Japan

What a story, we interviewed wonderful Kohei Kondo on his journey with art, sources of inspiration, materials to explore, and questions to ask.

A: Please, tell us a bit more about yourself. What brought you into art?

K: I am a Japanese painter. I have not been educated in art. I started my career as a painter when I was 29 years old. I learned painting by myself.

It may sound strange, but posting on social media made me a painter. People responded very well to the pictures I posted.

A: What inspires you the most?

K: I was born and raised in a region rich in nature, and at university, I learned about nature with a focus on forestry. Therefore, it is "nature" that has a great influence on my painting. I think that the natural environment of Japan is a major factor that has nurtured the Japanese sense. I hope to create the world that I feel through these senses. I am also greatly influenced by the animation of "Hayao Miyazaki". I think his creation is just a modern expression of the Japanese view of nature and life and death.

A: Do you have any specific rituals while working(creating)?

K: I create almost every day. And on the day of creation, I walk for 3 hours every morning. And I feel the morning light, the wind, and the clouds.

A: What would you recommend to someone who's new to art (rather artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?

K: Learning history and context is important, but I think it's most important to believe in your intuition first. Please find work that truly impresses your heart.

A: Your top 3 favorite adjectives related to art?

K: Nostalgic, beautiful, eternal

A: The best angle to look at art is from ...?

K: Any angle you can easily.

A: The Perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is: ..?

K: Color, composition, size, material, characters, motifs, years of production, whatever part you are interested in.

A: Must-read books to talk about art (or do we even need them)?

K: I recommend "The Book of Tea" by Tenshin Okakura. It's not a book, but I also recommend all the animations of Hayao Miyazaki.

A: If you could change one thing in the art world - what would it be?

K: I hope that art will become more pop and more familiar, such as animation, movies, and music. I hope that the author and the audience can communicate more directly through social services.

A: Please, share your favorite quote (not necessarily related to art)

K: It is the spirit of Cosmi Change-the eternal growth that returns upon itself to produce new forms.

Thank you!

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