Interview Update: from Superhero to Artist: a Story in Courage

Sequels rarely surpass the original. The characters have not changed although the locations have. The plot follows the same pattern and we leave thinking “more of the same”. Not here. In my original two-part interview with Kana she was disguised. Superman/Clark Kent was her claim to fame. But since then Kana’s shed that frame for one that fits her better: artist.

Over the last year, Kana has been posting her artwork for people around the world. Her words shed light on her work but the work itself shows the sequel is more imaginative, creative, and beautiful.

Her willingness to share her work also demonstrates a kind of courage some superheroes don’t  have.

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It has been a while since you originally appeared on this blog. Given some of the changes in your life and work, I thought that readers would want an update.

Parke, it’s great to be able to appear on your blog once again! I don’t know where to begin, but I’m in the midst of enjoying my last semester here at my university. I just recently started my own website and Facebook page where I am trying to make it a habit to post my works frequently. I always wanted to make my own online page/portfolio, but always hesitated to finish it up even if I was close to finishing it. To be completely honest, I was shy, and was worried if people would not like it or not. But somehow, I eventually stopped caring about small things like that, and finally decided to publish my website. It’s been one of the best things I’ve done with my life- I have people from all over the world interacting with my art pieces, which is an amazing experience! I’ve never met most of the people who have liked my page, but being able to connect through my art works has been such a fulfilling experience. Otherwise, with only less than four months to go before graduating, I’m constantly job hunting. It’s an exciting and stressful period, but I’m optimistic about where I’ll end up.

Can you tell us about your new artistic venture?  

Well, I have a couple of things that might answer your question. One major step I took towards my new artistic venture was to post my work out in the public. I’ve learned that putting your work out there in the open really helps you grow as an artist in a lot of ways. You become more open towards people’s interpretations of your work, and I think that mental flexibility is essential for artists to create works beyond their imagination. What I really hope to achieve is to develop a closer connection between me and my audiences through my artwork. To answer your question in technical terms, I’m trying to become more familiar with as many graphic editing softwares as possible. I often find myself trying to figure out if there is any way to transfer what I have in my head to a visual representation. On top of that, I’m working towards “finding” my own style. I think it will take some time, but I feel closer every time after completing an artwork to having my artistic epiphany.  

When did you begin these new works? Was there something that sparked your imagination?

The first of my newest works were digital illustrations of Geishas and Maikos. I took a modern art history class about two years ago, and I think what struck me the most was how each of the works were culturally associated to the life of the artists. I think artists who have a love hate relationship with their cultural background are the ones who make the most captivating works. Having grown up in Tokyo, I wanted to explore how that approach would influence my works, and that’s how I initially started with illustrations of Geishas and Maikos. It’s quite surprising how much you can learn from doing something like that- I’m especially interested with their hairdos, and makeup. I try to give liveliness to each of my illustrations. 

Your work incorporates women most would think of as embodying a certain traditional look. Do you want to comment on why you like these images and do you think they comment on how women should be perceived?

To be completely honest, it’s been a habit to draw women, and yes, they somehow end up being portrayed in a traditional light. I like to think that I just like to draw what I want to draw without any serious messages attached to it. I don’t like the idea of constricting how and what people should see in my artwork, so I’m quite liberal in that sense. When people can positively connect with my artwork on any level, that makes me happy and keeps me going. 

I have seen many people commenting positively on your work on social media. Do you have a specific audience in mind?

I’m glad so many people are interacting with my works! I’d love to expand my international audience base, and grow as an artist through interacting with them. I’d love to travel around the world one day and be able to meet each of them. 

Do you think your work receives different comments depending on where the viewers are from? For example, do you think viewers in Japan see your work ‘differently’ than those who are from the US? If so, how?

Absolutely- I think viewers in Japan interpret my work in a more traditional perspective, and perhaps find more connection that exists between my work and Japanese culture. On the other hand, viewers from the US may not be aware of some cultural components within my work, but that is completely fine with me. I think it’s great that my work gets more than just one generic interpretation, and I want to encourage my viewers to have that freedom. 

Do you think viewers I the US should be educated a bit I the history of Japanese art before trying to interpret your work?
Yes and no- if they become interested in Japanese art through my works, great! If they are interested in my work because of it’s aesthetic appeal, that’s great as well. I mean there are so many things you could learn about Japanese art (historical or contemporary), so I’d definitely recommend it, but won’t force it.

Can you take us through how you create the work in this series and do you foresee how long you will continue in this vein?

I don’t really know how I do it, but I just come up with strange ideas and end up drawing what I see in my head. Typically, I try to draw things that are unexpected, and have some shock factor. The amount of freedom you have as an artist is something that gives me the ability to think out of the box and be as creative as possible. I’ve been influenced very much by surrealism, and I love incorporating that into my works. I think I’ll keep going as long as my creativity is alive and don’t bore people! 

Here is a tough one. Where does inspiration come from? 

For me, inspiration comes in all sorts of forms, from the places I’ve visited and people I’ve met, to the strange dreams I’d wake up from. I love traveling, and being able to physically be somewhere you’ve never been stimulates my creativity. My art teacher from high school, Mrs. Ursula, as well as my current digital media professor, Lydia, has been more than great to me. I find it extremely hard now days finding a teacher who is honest when it comes to critiquing my work. I just appreciate their bluntness. Sometimes I go cry at the corner of the room because of their criticism (joking), but really, they are simply the best. 

It’s difficult for me to point to one thing that inspires me the most, but I’d have to say my favorite surrealist artist Paul Wunderlich has been an important source of inspiration. Definitely check out his work! I have a funny story to tell you about this actually- I was in Berlin this winter break, and was walking around a flea market on one fine day. The place had all sorts of awesome crap, and I was walking along each booth checking out old candle stands, plates, and whatnot. Then, my eyes fixated to a framed art piece that I was familiar with- it was an original lithography piece by Paul Wunderlich! I freaked out of course, in a good way, and stood in front of the work for a good twenty minutes or so trying to decide if I wanted to buy it or not. 

Paul Wunderlich

Being a poor college student, I wasn’t carrying enough money with me, so I had to withdraw once from the scene. I felt so awful leaving the artwork, so I decided to call up my dad, who was in Tokyo, when it was late at night for him. I guess I succeeded in convincing him that I really really wanted the piece, so I went back to the flea market during that day and purchased the piece. Sorry for going off track, but I guess what I wanted to say is that I had never felt that feeling of shock and admiration for a work ever in my life until then. I still remember that feeling, and I hope to one day inspire people with my work like Paul Wunderlich inspired me. 

Do you have a favorite piece you would like to comment on? Could you say why you like it and what you think it conveys to viewers?

I feel like my favorite piece keeps changing, and I like my newer works more than my older works. Sometimes, I go back to my first pieces and think, “what the hell was I thinking?” because of how terrible it looks compared to the thing I created recently. It’s strange to look back at things you’ve created in the past, because I remember being proud of that piece back then. But now, it’s sort of embarrassing. I like to make fun of myself in that sense, and it really drives me to become better. Even if I finish a piece, I sometimes decide not to post it because I simply don’t feel satisfied with the outcome. I have a couple of viewers who are always supportive, and give me constructive criticism. I appreciate them so much, and it’s awesome to be able to share my growth with other people. So, to answer your question, it’s safe to assume that whatever piece I have created most recently is my favorite one. 

Are you trying to put up a show locally or are you trying for galleries in the US or Japan?

For now, I am working on my final thesis show for my digital media class. I’ll be having a showing for that in late April, but I haven’t thought about showing my other works at a gallery yet. Hopefully sometime in the near future! I’ll keep you posted. 

Can you give us contact information about how to purchase your work?

I’m flattered- I think it will take some time until that happens- I don’t think I have established myself as a full artist yet. I’d like to create more works, and have a good selection of works before putting things out on the market. But if anyone’s really interested, I’m up for commissions and/or collaborations! I’ve listed my contact information on my website, so please check it out. 

Do you think that both this site and they way you promote your own work via social media represents the way people your age communicate most effectively about art and movies and pretty much almost everything else?

Absolutely. I think it’s great that many people get access to my work via social media. I guess it works especially well for me because my work is digital- things might turn out differently for painters, sculptures, etc., because they might want their audiences to physically come see their work. It would be nice to print out my works and show them in an exhibition, but for now I’m pretty content with how I share my work through social media. 

Has the new work you are doing changed your direction about what you will do when you graduate?

My new works have really helped me realize what I’m truly passionate for, which is graphic art and design. There are so many things you can explore when working with a computer, so I definitely would love to pursue a career that deals with graphics. I’m currently looking for jobs in advertising, especially in the creative or studio department. I think it would be a great career path for me since I can use my art skills and help people create campaigns and promote products.

www.facebook.com/KanaKentIllustrations 

www.kanasaechout.wix.com/moshimoshi 

The links above will take you to more of the world Kana's created. She’s worked in numerous media. The cliché says a picture is worth a thousands words. I’d say in many cases they are worth more. The traditional intersects with the new. Beauty finds its place next to some images that make us uncomfortable. There’s some political commentary and a lot of humor too. The way I react may not match yours. So it is with art and so it is in life too. But art should both please and provoke and Kana’s does that.

But even those who don’t love art can learn much from Kana. Education should be the opportunity to learn and see things differently. Clearly, Kana has learned much. But what she sees differently isn’t just what we see in these images. She sees herself in new ways too.

But I’d also say that her words speak more than just about art. Kana’s doing something not enough students do—follow a passion with passion and many hours of effort. The joy that radiates from her words and work convince me she is a role model--not  an impossible superhero, but a person who is willing to risk giving her best to create without the benefit of being bulletproof. The support she’s received from people around the world would never have happened without her taking the dangerous step into the unknown.

I hope in the not too distant future to post another interview with Kana. I think there will be more beautiful metamorphoses in her art and in her life too. I wish to thank her for sharing her work and words.