I Became a Painter

—

So, you’re an independent artist, you’ve spent the last few years working on the Christmas displays at the Mitsukoshi Department Store, and you sell original items at your own store.

junaida

It’s hard to find a job title that would fit me. (Laughs)

—

What I’d like to talk about is your work with art, because there are so many different kinds of artists. Painters, illustrators, comic artists… Even some designers work with hand-drawn art.

junaida

That’s true.

—

I’ve always thought there was something mysterious–something fascinating about artists. Even as they all create art, their actual jobs are different.

junaida

That’s true. Even I often wonder what I am. I don’t really mind what people consider me to be. They are free to see from my work what my occupation is. But to be honest, I feel the most comfortable being considered a painter.

—

Why is that?

junaida

I’ve had people call me an illustrator based on the feel of my work, and my very first career as an artist was as an illustrator.

—

I see.

junaida

I’d have a client request some artwork, so it was my job to satisfy the client and their own clientele. To put it very simply, that’s the definition of a professional illustrator. To me, being a professional illustrator meant arming myself with my own personal style of expression to create art that meets the client’s requests, but I eventually started feeling like it wasn’t for me.

—

How so?

junaida

I guess I wanted to draw and paint art that I liked. I’d always felt that way, so when I saw a friend of mine also working as an illustrator, I had a great deal of respect for them while also realizing I was unfit to call myself a professional illustrator.

—

So it’s the difference between doing work where you create art you like, and doing work that involves living up to someone else’s expectations.

junaida

Of course, it’s not a question of which one is better. It’s just that the latter wasn’t for me. For example, working as an illustrator means that you’ll get a rather absurd request once in a　while.

—

Yeah.

junaida

I thought I was a pro for having made it through obstacles like that, but ironically, that’s what led me to realize the kind of art I truly wanted to make.

—

While you were working on someone else’s request? Interesting.

junaida

Of course, I was painfully aware of how difficult it was to do what I wanted to do, and not do what I didn’t want to do. But at the same time, I started to realize how crucial it was for me to at least start doing what I wanted to do.

—

And that’s when you quit your job as an illustrator.

junaida

But I didn’t suddenly become a painter after that. No way. (Laughs) I just decided I would do an art gallery once a　year. No one asked me to, and I only created art for it that I personally wanted to make. I did that for over ten years.

—

All the art books you’ve had published over the years are just beautiful.

junaida

Thank you.

—

It seems like your art style and the feel of your work gradually change across each book.

junaida

I can see that. I’ve got a different theme for each one.

—

And if I’m not mistaken, your three books “HUG,” “HOME,” and “NORDIC TALES” are collections of the art you created for the Christmas displays at the Mitsukoshi Department Store.

junaida

Yes, the theme was “Love” for 2012 and 2013, so first I depicted scenes of people hugging each other and then memories spent at home and with family.

—

So those are the “HUG” and “HOME” collections.

junaida

The theme in 2014 was Scandinavia, so I painted pictures based on excerpts of stories written by Tove Jansson, Selma Lagerlöf, and H.C. Andersen.

—

And that’s the “NORDIC TALES” collection.

junaida

While the three projects I did with Mitsukoshi consisted of art that I personally wanted to make, the art is still designed in a way that fits the look of the department store’s shop windows. But “IHATOVO,” where I illustrated excerpts from writings by Kenji Miyazawa, and “LAPIS,” themed after ores, are collections where I completely followed my own tastes.

—

When I look at these works, I can still feel that sentiment you carried in the past as an illustrator–that feeling of wanting to please the audience. And I mean that in a good way.

junaida

That may be true. Sometimes art has the tendency to be really smug and self-satisfied.

—

Yeah.

junaida

Of course, I think it’s important for artists to feel confident in their work, and I can respect the thought of seeing one’s own way of artistic expression as the best.

—

Yeah.

junaida

But in the end, I want to make people happy. I want to pay careful consideration to my own style and self-expression while making the audience happy, and making them feel something.

—

So to put it another way, does that mean suppressing your own creative expression to make people happy is not good either?

junaida

People understand the limits of saying “This is my own art, so I’ll do what I want—I don’t care about what people think.” But saying “I want to make people happy, and I want them to like this” while not putting any of yourself into the thing you’re creating is equally strange.

—

Whether you’re a painter or an illustrator.

junaida

Yeah. People won’t even look at your work. I think it’s best if you can sublimate the competition between those two impulses.

—

Is that competition between impulses a part of the original products you’re making, like tote bags and buttons?

junaida

Yes, I think so.

—

It does make people happy if they’re able to buy something at a show and take it home with them.

junaida

It doesn’t matter what kind of thing it is. It makes me happy, too, when lots of people have something I made. I’m an artist, so of course I long to have my work displayed in art museums. But I’m overjoyed when someone puts one of my postcards on their desk at work, or hangs it on the wall of a kid’s room. [Laughs]

—

So is there a difference, to you, between your artwork and your products?

junaida

They’re similar, but not the same. Drawing a picture or creating art is like turning zero into one. The products take that one and turn it into a 10 or 100.

—

Isn’t there a bit of a gap there?

junaida

No, actually. There’s no change to that desire to make people happy, and in my case, the products are an extension of the art.

2016-12-06-Tue

Part 2 | NEXT