Interview
Mayumi Ishida
Mayumi works with painting, musical composition and installation. Since she was young, Mayumi has been able to ‘see’ music and sounds around her. As a child, she wanted to create a choreography rather than dance; to compose music rather than play it.
Like a written dairy, Mayumi started to keep a ‘sound diary’. This idea arose from a simple question: What if you could create a painting of a scenery of sounds? This inspired her to start painting.
Mayumi uses her art as a form of communication, creating a picture in which you feel like you can hear some sounds, or make music, and in which you can imagine scenery.
Mayumi is interested in the invisible things that surround us, as well as the source of our feelings. Her aim is to actualize these elements through her art.
What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?
“I’m from Tokyo, where I make paintings and music. I have synesthesia, a neurological phenomenon that makes one see colors and forms when listening to sounds or music. Every time I see or create a painting, I feel some kind of rhythms or melodies inside of my head. I’ve always wanted to express this sensation, which is neither music nor painting.
I was a 21-year-old student at Musashino Art University when I first noticed that not everyone has the same sensation that I do. Until then, I’d believed that everyone experiences colors and sounds when seeing paintings. The encounter of the word ‘synesthesia’ made me finally realize who I am and what to express.”
“Everyone has had a moment where they feel uplifted by listening to music or admiring landscapes. I would like to create something to add a little moment of spice to their everyday lives.”
What inspires you most?
“I’m inspired by anything that appeals to the emotions: music, people’s voices and the sound of nature — any moment when I strongly feel the presence of an invisible being. I’m also inspired by films and novels. When I feel a rush of emotions that I can’t describe in words, I get the urge to shape it into some kind of form.”
What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?
“My theme is exploring art as a natural science, as well as sympathizing. I emphasize the visualization of an emotion that moved me, and deliver it to people. A soul-shaking experience from seeing or hearing something can vitalize people or give more choices to life, even if it won’t be a straight answer. However, I don’t mean to give big ‘aha’ moments like revelations. I think of my work like a scenery: people will pass by, and whoever needs it will stop walking to look at it. I believe that art has such power.”
How would you describe your work?
“If I was to describe my work in one sentence, I would say it’s like an orchestral score. I express music or sound by painting elements such as colors, forms, structures and harmonies. Since I describe a scenery of what I was inspired by while listening to music, my work can be called a scenic score which I would like to share with people.”
Which artists influence you most?
“Mark Rothko, Wols and Robert Mangold have had some influence in my work. Looking at their works for a long time, I somehow become introspective. Their works harmonize fluctuation, chaos and balance in one place, and I see it as a form of nature that human beings have created.”
“The state of harmony in my art means not only beauty, but also chaos. As long as all the elements are able to correspond with each other, it is harmonized.
It’s like when a cacophonous sound in music shines brightly in an impeccable arrangement.”
What is your creative process like?
"I usually use acrylic and oil for visual art, and piano when I compose music. I don’t often draw sketches. Instead, I pick colors and mix them directly on a canvas. Sometimes, I draw a picture from a visual that I saw while listening to some music or sounds. When colors and forms are closely harmonized, the process is complete.”
What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?
“Translation and communication. Artists have their own language called artwork. I don't mean that artists are special. By using their own language, they act as a bridge for art, which doesn’t have a single answer. Each artist is different, and they take on a role as an individual being. It is similar to how a politician rules a country, or a teacher teaches children.
My role is to share my world with others by creating something from what I see and hear. Artists have a role in developing their own studies and sharing them with others.”
Have you had any noteworthy exhibitions you'd like to share?
“In the exhibition ‘oto no ma’, I collaborated with a media artist. In this installation, I made drawings capturing the forms of sounds that appeared in my head while listening to four different types of music I composed myself. Synchronized by programming, the drawings and sounds were reflected in the space. The artwork visualized the landscape, made up of harmony and dissonance of sounds in the flow of time. You can read about it here.
This installation, which combines music and painting, is one of my important exhibitions. Visualizing what I'm feeling with other techniques was like a translation of something vague to me.
I also collaborated with a friend of mine in a documentary video project, ‘Synesthesia’. I painted on his guitar while listening to his guitar play. You can watch the video here.”
