The next in the line of LTRHD exhibitions interview is with Tokyo artist SASU whose bright floral explosions are a fixture amongst the busy street of Tokyo.
SASU is one half of HITOTZUKI (Sun and Moon) a creative duo consisting of herself and husband KAMI, who is also in the LTRHDS show.
From hidden pieces in ally ways to massive murals, several stories high, SASU’s prolific colonizations of Tokyo is marked by a seemingly endless array of projects and commissioned pieces.
Sasu joins LTRHDS with the Letter O. Check out Sasu’s blog. sasu.hitotzuki.com
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Tell us about how you found KAMI. Would you say that the creative process you share comes about naturally?
I think naturally… We used to draw on paper napkins while we would sit around drinking tea. Using markers gradually changed to paint, and paper napkins became walls.
Then afterwards, we started having exhibitions with the two of us. At first we were using the name KAMI+SASU but as time proceeded, we made the name HITOTZUKI (sun and moon).
We both published in a free paper so we knew of each other. A friend of mine was taking KAMI to the airport when he was leaving for NY, and the friend asked me to tag along for the drive.
That’s when I actually met KAMI for the first time. I was also leaving for a trip in few days. When KAMI and I were talking we realized that I would be leaving on the day KAMI was coming back. So we kept in touch and met at the airport. Since then we just started hanging out.
In what ways would you say KAMI has influenced your artistic style? Is there anything special you have learnt from his methods?
His sense of direction is different from mine. I also feel that he is very manly, and I see myself through him.
We both use paint as a media when working on our work but the process, the way of painting, the colors that we choose and the time spent on each things is very different. In the beginning he taught me about the materials. I didn’t know there was canvas, nor acrylic paint.
The other thing that I admire is that he continues to seek his own original style. He told me that I should have faith in things that only I can do. I mean, my complex during my childhood was about being different from others so his advice helped me out a lot.
KAMI’s work is simple, smooth, and Zen pop? If were to describe the HITOTZUKI’s work in music, I would say that KAMI makes the beat and I add the melody.
What inspired you to create your art? Is it a reflection of your own internal vibrations or a mirror of the world around you?
I’m not really sure but I was always interested in the way people live and feel, in nature, in the unknown universe, the world, and our every existence.
Whether it is big or small, I try to express what I view and my sensations…. things that have moved me. I feel that there is a lot of sadness in life, and by expressing those feelings through art is the key to healing the wounds.
What I paint is how I am, how we are. Whether it is for the good or for bad, our art is everything that we are. We both hope to evolve, and the way we feel about things are similar. I don’t have to try hard, I can be myself, and perhaps that allows us to communicate deeper but then again I feel that we just simply click.
Japan seems like a very fertile culture in which to be graphic artist. Tell us about how living in Japan affects the mood of your art.
I think Japan is very peaceful and rich as a country. In the past, there was dark sadness such as the war, however I feel that people are striving not to make the same mistake, and in order to do so they have created this playful culture.
I’m not really sure about the meaning of Japanese pop art, but I used to like Sanrio characters which I think influenced me a lot. It wasn’t the anime or manga. When we had to sketch in art class, my drawing would always end up graphical. I just liked drawing that way from the start.
I never really thought I was going to start painting. When I became aware of street culture, I thought maybe this way I will be able to paint, that I didn’t have to do things in certain ways. Then, I felt just right. And now from that background, and from the places that I traveled, I take in the culture and the scenery, my emotions from every day into the artwork.
You strike me as a very positive and assured artist. Has it always been that way?
I think I am an optimistic person but at the same time, sometimes there is a side of me that’s not. Yet when I hit rock bottom for some reason I naturally go back to thinking positively and moving on.
I strive to stay earnest and simple, for there was a side to me that was chaotic at one point, I didn’t want that any more so this became my style. I started painting as a healing process for myself, but when my healing was fulfilled I felt that I wanted to share my art with others.
Now I want to concentrate on my artwork so that I can be satisfied. If this comes naturally then I am very lucky.
It’s a lifetime experience, also work done with KAMI, HITOTZUKI.
