Born in 1979 and raised amongst the traditional and natural landscapes of Kyoto. Kami was first introduced to street culture through skateboarding the mentality of which still heavily influences his artwork.
Kami’s artwork is massive, simple, elegant and along side that of his wife Sasu with whom he forms the creative duo HITOTZUKI (Sun and Moon), can be found all over the world in the form of murals and productions.
Kami’s unique approach to graffiti has influenced generations of artist in Tokyo, placing him at the center of the countries street art community.
Tell us about how you and SASU came together. Did you find each other through art or was it more of a random meeting?
I met SASU in 1999 through a free paper. We both used to publish artwork in it and I knew of her. Then I coincidentally met her through a friend. We just naturally started to do artwork together, we both liked drawing.
During those time period we used to do a black book session. We would draw at home or outside and pass the black book to each other continuously. Even when we were together we just drew on notebooks and stickers, and that just elevated.
What inspires and amazes you about SASU’s art? How would you describe her style in a few words?
The thing that inspires me about her is that she shares similar thing yet at the same time has some things that are also completely different. I am learning to see things from different perspectives and how the opposite sex thinks.
For example we will work on the same things (a mural), but the time we spend on each parts and the process is different, and that difference is what interests me. SASU’s work is like a “shining explosion.”
There’s a real holistic feel to your work. What compels you to create your art? Do you feel it allows you to communicate with each other in a deeper, more meaningful way?
I travel a lot and what I see and what I feel influences me, such as the scenery of nature and different cultures in different places. We talk about the feelings such as breathing, decide on a direction to take it and then reflect it in the artwork. I also like trying to mix the background of my upbringing in Japan into my art work.
Would you say that your work is partly influenced by the bright and playful nature of Japanese pop art? What is it about Japanese culture that inspires such joyful imagery?
What I am inspired by is my daily life, the experience throughout the day, and things that I liked when I was a kid, such as manga, animation, the sensation of skateboarding, trips, music and the four season in Japan. Not much from Japanese pop art.
There’s an earnestly simple optimism to your work… Would you say you are optimistic person? What hopes for the future does your art express?
I always strive to be optimistic. Though, in reality, as humans, we experience both negative and positive things. However we try to create the positive energy, and I think it also gives us confidence to move forward too.
And that becomes the fun part about it. Of course there are times that I’m not optimistic, and when I’m like that I tend to detach from the negativity, not to stop and to move on forward.
As for the future, I would like to visit various countries and paint walls… it is
where it all began. I believe it’s the most important and exciting movement.
