Mr. Mamoru Hirata, 2D and 3D Department

“My IKEA painting work (vases, eyelashes, and shelves)/My Bacchus (Green)”

-Congratulations on winning the grand prize. Please tell us how you feel now.

Thank you very much for this wonderful award. I was very surprised when I received the call that I won the grand prize.

- Please tell us why you chose to become an artist.

I feel that by thinking about and studying art, my life becomes just a little bit richer.
I wasn't really that good at drawing, but I really liked looking at art at museums and other places.
At some point, the person closest to the work is the creator, and if I were to become a player myself, I would be able to feel the reality of the creator from the closest distance.
It all started when I thought it would improve the resolution of viewing works.
After that, I continued to study as a ronin at an art preparatory school and then at an art university.
However, after graduating, I realized that I had started walking in a haze where I could not see clear goals, standards, or goals, but this was the reality of the artist's side, and in a true sense, the artist's side had changed from being an art fan to the artist's side. I think now that I have become a person.

-What made you decide to apply this time?

First of all, I thought it was attractive to be able to judge a relatively large work of size 150.
Also, in May, I held an exhibition in the studio I usually use for my work, and I happened to be drawing a size 150 at that time, and the maximum size for submission was 150, so the timing was perfect. It was good.
The other work, My Bacchus (Green), which is fixed with steel fittings, was created when I was participating in BankART AIR 2023 SPRING OPEN STUDIO from April to mid-June, and it was exhibited in a different format at that time. However, the final decision I made was based on my intuition, and I was glad that it led to good reviews.

-Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it during production.

My IKEA painting work (vases, eyelashes, and shelves):
Furniture (especially high-quality) is intended to be used for a medium to long term. In Japan, for example, a chest of drawers made of paulownia wood is said to last about 100 years with proper repair and regular maintenance. However, IKEA's furniture differs from the standard assembly method in that it is assembled by the purchaser himself to reduce costs, and is intended for short-term use. As a result, the structure is impossible to reassemble once disassembled, so there are cases where the product is not covered by warranty or cannot be removed from the house when moving.
I was interested in the contradictions and distortions of painting furniture (and surrounding interiors) that are not intended for long-term use using oil paintings, a recording medium that can be preserved for a long time as long as the environment is properly prepared. .
Also, when you go to an IKEA store, you will find bottles, artificial flowers, lighting, etc. already set up as if they were motifs, and the space feels like a motif that is difficult to manipulate on your own will is always installed. I think this point is also interesting.
My Bacchus (Green):
As the title suggests, this work is related to alcohol, but first of all, this work allows you to control the horizontal and vertical direction of the canvas by turning the four handles attached to the steel fittings. .
For a typical painting, by installing the picture on the wall, you can use a spirit level to determine the horizontal and vertical directions between the picture and the wall of the building and the floor of the building. (This also determines the position of the caption.)
However, all viewers have their own physical differences, and even if they are numerically horizontal or vertical, they will perceive subjective and psychological distortions and deviations. As an author myself, it's only natural that for some reason the horizontal and vertical lines don't feel straight. Furthermore, if there is unintended distortion in the painting space (perspective or color value), the brain that perceives it may be affected and create an illusion, so extreme caution is required. Therefore, we will install the work using the following process.
1. Attach the metal fittings to the wall. (There is no problem even if the painting itself is fixed)
2. Measure the horizontal and vertical of the metal fittings using a laser level or digital angle meter. (4 or more points on top, bottom, left and right)
3. After confirming that the metal fittings are horizontal and vertical to the wall or floor, turn the four handles and measure the horizontal and vertical of the canvas in the same way as with the steel metal fittings.
4. After the horizontal and vertical alignment of the wall, metal fittings, and canvas are determined, I, the installer, stand in front of the work and operate the four handles until the canvas is at the point that I subjectively think is horizontal and vertical. Make small adjustments until you feel a comfortable force on the painting.
Through the process described above, the viewer is able to appreciate the painting based on my own horizontal and vertical sense as the artist.
Also, the subject of the painting, Bacchus, is the god of alcohol and is a drunkard. I really like alcohol, and one of the themes of my work is to enjoy the horizontal and vertical deviations that occur when the semicircular canals are disrupted by alcohol.

-Please tell us what you were most particular about or what you found difficult.

It was actually about 10 years since I chose the medium of oil on canvas to paint, and it was a process of trial and error, since I was a ronin student at cram school. Although I am a bit specialized in how I use paint, I struggled to create a hobby in how I use oil paint as an independent form of expression, rather than a hobbyist way of using oil paint. Therefore, I paid special attention to the brush strokes typical of oil painting, and the hardness and fluidity of the paint when applied thickly. I was particular about finding just the right moment when force was applied to the screen, such as a glossy area on the screen or a faded appearance of the paint.

-Please tell us about your future activities and future goals.

I am planning a solo exhibition around the second half of October.
In November, we will hold an event called Super Open Studio, which will introduce the production sites of artists near Sagamihara that are not normally open to the public. I work in a studio called "Penguin's House Green," so I plan to exhibit my work there.
First of all, I think we need to prepare for two things.

- Please give a message to everyone who is aiming to apply next year!

The perfect time to apply is when you think ``I might give it a try.''
If you can express your ``feel good feelings'' in your work, you will surely connect with people who can relate to it.
I'm really looking forward to seeing your next good work.

"profile"
Mamoru Hirata
Biography
Born in Saitama Prefecture in 1989
2019 Completed Tama Art University Graduate School of Art, Painting Major

Main exhibition
2018
Painting/Movement (Rough Dimension), Yotsuya Unidentified Studio, Tokyo
Exciting! Summer New Beauty Download Campaign, SHINBI GALLERY, Tokyo
Images may always want to be copied, Blan Class, Kanagawa
2019
BankART AIR 2019 0PEN STUDIO, BankART Station, Kanagawa
2022
Tokimeki Painting Road, HB.Nezu, Tokyo
2023
How elementary forces are applied, held at Uraraka Art Festival, The 5th Floor, Tokyo
Scratch in the gap, Penguin's House Green, Kanagawa
BankART AIR 2023 SPRING OPEN STUDIO, BankART Station, Kanagawa

artist in residence
2019 BankART AIR 2019 0PEN STUDIO
2023 BankART AIR 2023 SPRING OPEN STUDIO

Awards
2017 Tama Art University Graduation Work Ichiro Fukuzawa Award

Crafts Department Kasuga Mase

"Navel cushion"

-Congratulations on winning the grand prize. Please tell us how you feel now.

It was my first time submitting to a competition, so I was surprised when I heard the results, but I was also very happy. This gave me motivation for future productions.

- Please tell us why you chose to become an artist.

I decided that I wanted to do something that I could spend my entire life mastering, like my grandfathers who were carpenters and hand-painted sign makers. I chose lacquer because I was attracted to its interesting material and beautiful luster, but since I was little I've loved working with my hands, and the depth of the lacquer process made me fall in love with it. The world of lacquer is full of techniques and materials, and there is still so much to learn.

-What made you decide to apply this time?

I had been away from Kanagawa for about 6 years to go to higher education and find a job, but I thought it would be a good opportunity to return to my hometown for the first time in a long time due to my career path, so I decided to apply. It was also the time when I decided to pursue a full-fledged career as a lacquer artist, so it also had a strong sense of testing my skills.

-Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it during production.

I create works based on the themes of ambiguity, consciousness, and the edges of shapes. One day, I was sleeping using a cushion in my room like a body pillow, and when I held it in front of my stomach, I felt like my body was being extended. I thought it would be interesting if it had a belly button like that, so I made it look like that. In reality, the shape of the cushion is fluid and does not maintain the same tension as the artwork, but we believe that lacquer has the power to fix an ideal shape, so we create even more ambiguous shapes. I captured a moment and made it into a piece of work. I was allowed to observe the belly button of a friend who was living in a shared house with me at the time.
Urushi has a strong image of being used as a traditional craft or for tableware, etc., but I would like to focus on the luster of this material and create humorous pieces that will make you laugh.

-Please tell us what you were most particular about or what you found difficult .

This work uses a technique called ``Ryoiroage,'' which is one of the lacquer techniques. In order to achieve this kind of luster, it is necessary to polish each of the approximately 20 layers of lacquer. In the end, all the small irregularities are polished with small charcoal, but it takes many hours to sharpen each time. After that, use your palms and fingers to polish the entire area. Although it is extremely difficult work, we are proud that we have taken care of every detail, so please pay attention to the unique luster of this lacquer.

-Please tell us about your future activities and future goals.

Currently, I belong to the Department of Cultural Properties Conservation at the Graduate School of Tokyo University of the Arts, where I am involved in production and research on the restoration of lacquerware. Both production and restoration require a vast amount of knowledge about history and lacquer, and I would like to continue acquiring that knowledge, honing my skills, and continuing to interact with lacquer as an artist and restorer.

- Please give a message to everyone who is aiming to apply next year!

At the Kanagawa Prefectural Art Exhibition, there is no need to submit a statement, and only the works will be judged, but I felt that if I put my own personal touches into it, I would be recognized. The hurdles for listing were low and it was easy to submit, so I think everyone should give it a try.

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Masaki Kasuga
Biography
Born in Kanagawa Prefecture in 1998
2021 Graduated from Kanazawa College of Art, Faculty of Arts and Crafts, Department of Crafts
2023 ~ Currently enrolled in the master's program in the Department of Cultural Heritage Conservation, Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo University of the Arts

Book Department Masako Ueda

"Shinkansen (East Japan Ver.)"

-Congratulations on winning the grand prize. Please tell us how you feel now.

At first I thought it was a prank (lol). It was first exhibited last year and second time this year, so someday...! I had a longing for this, but I was very surprised that I would receive it so quickly.

- Please tell us why you chose to become an artist.

I'm embarrassed to say I'm far from being an artist, but I think I just love writing. When I was a student, I aimed to become a high school calligraphy teacher, but I changed my mind midway through and managed to continue working as a company employee while I was single. The reason I have been able to continue this far is because I have been blessed with good teachers and friends since I was a student, as well as an understanding family.

-What made you decide to apply this time?

It's been nine years since I became a resident of Kanagawa Prefecture, and I'm saddened by this, but I recently learned about the existence of the prefectural art exhibition, so I exhibited it for the first time last year. At first, it felt really easy. Last year as well, I was selected to see the exhibition, and I remember that there was a wide variety of works on display and that it was very fulfilling.

-Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it during production.

My son, who is now 4 and a half years old, is a child who loves trains, so he has been influenced by me to learn more about trains, and I am also becoming a mother of iron. For this reason, I am exploring ways to collaborate between railways and calligraphy, and this work is part of that effort. From an interview article with author Sawako Agawa, who gave the Shinkansen Nozomi its name, I learned about her father's advice that ``All the trains of Japan National Railways have been named in Yamato words over the years,'' and if that's the case, then my son would like it too. It all started when I decided to choose a waka poem with the name of the Shinkansen in it and write it in kana on a fan-shaped paper. This time, due to the size of the frame and paper, I could only fit the eastern part of the book, so I came up with this title (lol).

-Please tell us what you were most particular about or what you found difficult.

It took a lot of trial and error to balance the placement of the fan surface and the number of sheets. This time, I tried to keep the number of colors as few as possible and aim for something simple and casual.
I was torn between the mint green paper in the background and the yellow-green paper, but in the end, I asked my husband, ``Let's go on an adventure!'' and decided on this color. The overlapped fan surfaces of the second and third tiers are surrounded by silver covering rings (fukurin/suji) so that the outline can be seen.

-Please tell us about your future activities and future goals.

The classic ``kana'' written in waka and haiku poems are important in Japan's unique culture, but in the future I would like to incorporate works from a mother's perspective and collaborations between railways and calligraphy, and work on things that only I can do now. is. Calligraphy is considered to be difficult to enter, but I am currently working on a harmonious typeface (calligraphy that includes kanji and kana) that anyone can read, and that makes people feel familiar, like a painting. I want to enjoy creating my works.

- Please give a message to everyone who is aiming to apply next year!

I can't say that someone like me is bossy, but... I'm sure you'll be overwhelmed by the many wonderful works on display at the venue, but I hope you enjoy creating your work until the end.

"profile"
Masako Ueda
Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/shoko0621555/)

・Brief history, awards, etc.
Born in 1985 from Kumamoto Prefecture Lives in Kanagawa Prefecture
2008 Graduated from Daito Bunka University, received the Itabashi Civic Cultural Encouragement Award
Selected for Nitten Exhibition twice
Yomiuri Shohokai Secretary
Japanese calligraphy exhibition outstanding selected writers
Calligraphy Association Director
Studied under Naomi Hara

Photography Department Yuya Etori

"Mountain solo trip"

-Congratulations on winning the grand prize. Please tell us how you feel now.

I am very happy to see the results of my continued efforts.

- Please tell us why you chose to become an artist.

My motivation was to face myself through photography, and to have as many people as possible see the match between the natural scenery I saw and the landscape I imagined as a photographic work.

-What made you decide to apply this time?

I saw the judge's announcement on SNS and applied to see if my approach would work from an artistic perspective.

-Please tell us about the concept of the work and the thoughts you put into it during production.

The title ``Mountain Alone'' refers not only to this work, but also to a series of photographs that I saw and took while mountain climbing.
Among them, the work submitted this time is a photo that vividly expresses the emotions felt while mountain climbing.
The reason I climb mountains is because the scenery I see in the mountains is beautiful, carrying heavy photographic equipment on my back, forcing my legs to lift up, placing myself in the polar regions of my own will, and climbing endlessly, even if it feels painful. Nothing else.
This work is a photograph of the coincidence between such a mental image and the scene in front of one's eyes, and expresses the feeling of continuing to move forward even when the future is uncertain.

-Please tell us what you were most particular about or what you found difficult.

This photo was taken on a snowy mountain. A big hurdle was carrying photographic equipment such as a medium format film camera and heading to the shooting location. In order to take this photo, I have gone mountain climbing in the Northern Alps many times and have been training hard.
My subjects are natural landscapes, so I think it's important to make many attempts to get a satisfactory depiction, and sometimes leave it to chance.I go home, develop the film, and check the results. The most important point is that we reached this result after several years of mountain climbing without compromise.

-Please tell us about your future activities and future goals.

I shoot throughout the year for multiple projects.
We will continue these projects: ``Mountain Solo Travel'', which won this award, ``Hokkaido'', which connects the scenery of one's hometown with past memories, and ``in the mist'', which photographs obscure landscapes in fog. While doing so, I would like to find new perspectives and continue photographing for the rest of my life.
I received awards for ``Mountain Traveling Alone'' and ``Hokkaido,'' so I would like to work on achieving results with ``in the mist'' and continue working from a new perspective.

- Please give a message to everyone who is aiming to apply next year!

Please feel free to submit works that capture your unique perspective.
It is the most difficult to maintain. Please continue even if you don't see results. Let's do our best together.

"profile"
Yuya Etori

・Brief history, awards, etc.
Biography
Born in Hokkaido in 1989
2011 Graduated from Otaru University of Commerce
Awards
44th Funabashi City Photo Exhibition Kazuo Kitai Award
exhibition
2021 Solo exhibition “Friction reflection”
2022 Solo exhibition “Hokkaido”

The Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery will display 312 prize-winning works that were selected after a rigorous screening process.
The exhibition will be divided into the 1st exhibition (flat and 3D section) and the 2nd exhibition (crafts, calligraphy, and photography).

1st period exhibition (flat 3D section) September 6th (Wednesday) - September 17th (Sunday)
2nd period exhibition (crafts, calligraphy, photography) September 20th (Wednesday) - October 1st (Sunday)
Location: Kanagawa Kenmin Hall Gallery
Time: 10:00-18:00 *Until 14:00 on each last day
Click here for event information Click here for traveling exhibition