Interview
Azusa Okamoto
Azusa Okamoto was born in 1986 in Kobe, Japan. Kobe is a city on Osaka Bay in central Japan, and is known for its scenic setting of mountains framing the harbor. Azusa grew up in Japan and then went on to spend several years in European countries such as the UK, France and Norway, for exchange studies while she was a secondary and high school student.
She went to Roedean School in Brighton, UK, where she finished her GCSE Art & Designs. This was the very first starting point of her art journey.
Azusa is a Japanese contemporary artist/painter who enjoys mixing various styles of art, especially Art Nouveau + Ukiyoe, and RIMPA styles. She illustrates Japan's seasonal changes on Art Nouveau designs like Mucha, together with shiny glittery materials such as gold leaf: the beautiful marriage of European and Japanese arts.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“My passion and my journey in the art world started from when I finished my GCSE Art & Designs at Roedean School in Brighton, UK. The art class was a multi-cultural class where students from Europe, Asia, the US and Africa studied together. The learning environment was absolutely stimulating for me, because I could communicate with people from different continents all studying art. Through attending the art classes, I learned how significant roles these arts played in international art histories as well: Ukiyoe, RIMPA, and Art Nouveau. I thought it would be very interesting and unique if I mix these styles of art together, and that is what I am creating now.”
How would you describe your work?
“I describe my work as ‘The beautiful marriage of European and Japanese arts’. I illustrate the seasonal changes of Japan on Art Nouveau design with RIMPA materials such as gold & silver leaves. By taking such a unique style, I am trying to interpret the lovely Japanese seasonal vibes in European designing. All my artworks are filled with gold and silver leaves, which glitter in light. Gold leaves have been widely used on Japanese artworks since ancient times. By capturing Japanese themes in the European sense of art using Japanese art material, I try to create something very original which nobody has ever made.”
“I would like my art to act as a multilateral bridge, sharing the sentimental feelings of Japanese seasonal vibes with people across the world.”
What inspires you most?
“I am absolutely inspired by my language learning experiences when creating artworks. I dedicated much of my student life to language learning as well: English, French, and Norwegian. I went to a boarding school in UK as an exchange student, then went back to France to finish high school. In addition, I went to Oslo University in Norway for another exchange year while I was a university student. The experiences of language learning directly inspire my ‘mixed styles of art’. For me, creating artworks is similar to ‘interpreting’. I am trying to express Japan seasonal beauty as if I speak about it on different languages so that I can share it with people in the world.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“I pursue seasonal motifs of Japan on European designs. By taking such mixed style, I believe that I can share the beautiful Japanese sense of seasons with people in the world, just like speaking about Japanese seasons in other languages. Japan has distinctive seasons and we are very keen on seasonal changes, which I think is absolutely precious. I would love to preserve such lovely culture that respects seasonal vibes, by trying to share the sense with people in other countries as well.”
What is your creative process like?
“Using pigments of traditional Japanese style paintings when creating artworks in European designs is my signature creative point for the art I make. The painting materials I use are for Japanese styled paintings. Some of my artworks have metallic and solid textures on the surface. I use a special kind of pigment which is called ‘Gofun’ for creating such textures by making a plastic impression on the surface. Gofun is a traditional Japanese white pigment mainly made from calcium carbonate, which is derived from the shells of oysters. Then I cover the parts which are painted with Gofun in gold leaf coatings on top of that layer.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“In my point of view, an artist can act as a bridge between different cultures, bridging between all societies across the continents. Sometimes they can act as multilateral ‘glue’, which my artworks personally the role of. By mixing the styles of European and Japanese arts.”
Which artists influence you most?
Mucha and Ogata Korin (a famous RIMPA artist) are artists who definitely influence my work. Mucha is a dearly beloved artist to me - I simply love his designs and drawing style. I try to imitate Mucha's bold, defined lines from his works. In the meantime, my way of selecting painting themes comes from RIMPA. Mucha's lines and RIMPA's seasonal themes and painting materials are on the same plane: the marriage of European and Japanese arts.
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“2020: My custom-made artworks have been on permanent exhibition at SBB CFF FFS Ziegelbrücke office, Switzerland.
2021: My artworks are on permanent exhibition at ACOPIA Gallery, in Seoul, Korea.
2021: Online Solo Exhibition at Nihonbashi Art, Tokyo.
2021: The 69th Koyokai Award Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo.
2021: The 34th Japanese Nature Painting Award Exhibition at the Ueno Royal Museum, Tokyo.
2021: The 17th World Art Award Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo.”
