Works before 1997

Maguna Mater
"Maguna Mater"
private collection N.Z.
1987

Interview 1996 for promotion video

Q1. Could you tell me the reason why you started woodcut and the most attractive point of print please?

A1. I have been making my works on the theme of Maguna Mater and I've wanted to make a kind of symbolic patterns on my works to emphasize the meaning of the theme.
But when I draw the pattern by my own hand it often starts growing and becomes too strong to maintain the form of the works.
Then I conceived to make the pattern by printing instead of drawing. Printed pattern emphasizes the form of the works and leads a nude woman to the beauty, which is not vivid but natural like a landscape.
Therefore woodcut is plane works it has comparatively flexibility. For instance, it can float a torso in the air or can send a torso to the bottom of a water tank.
Sometimes cutting or printing goes wrong, I think, "Why am I tackling such a troublesome problem." But, drawing a picture cutting a wood and printing on a paper are similar to glazing enamel and putting it into a kiln.
For example, a case of oil painting, I can re-paint again and again until I feel it perfect. But it is heavy load. On the other hand the woodcut is alternative works, success or not. It is very simple. That aspect of woodcut is charming for me.

Q2. Now, your life theme is "Maguna Mater", isn't it? Could you tell me what you'd like to signify with it, and the intention of your work?

A2. Maguna Mater is the goddess of motherly earth. From ancient times to today people have taken over the theme. A stone Venus is a so simple example of that instinct of human grows the art in the name of primitive religion. Even if the society is complicated, people are sophisticated and equip their intelligence or reason; they are born and die eventually. But the human society makes an ideal and thought multiply and make it systematize, inspire of individual death.
The point "what we should create" becomes an inevitable problem. My Maguna Mater, its emotion is taken in potent and complicated life, sometimes becomes Wind, Sun, Autumn Leaves or the earth.
And to express this I use a nude. Because nude is easy to understand and familiar to us, above all man is born from his mother.
Maguna Mater spread in my mind accompanied with several themes and it attribute the origin. I hope creating works that can reply any question like that when people want to have my works disappear, it run away or want to be embraced, it embraces them.

Q3. Finally, could you mention on your dream?

A3. I draw and cut just as I feel using mainly woods, and concentrate on each one of my work now. I hope that in the future my works spread all over the world in the shape of lithograph, and help people in this restless world to heal their loneliness.
Worry of 25 years old
"Worry of 25 years old"
1988
Lily's Woman
"Lily's Woman"
private collection Tokyo
1990
Trace
"Trace"
1991
Carrot Girl
"Carrot Girl"
private collection Marshall Seifert Gallery, N.Z.
1993
Moon and Aurora
"Moon and Aurora"
private collection Sapporo
1995