ZINE/ZAKKA/FREE PAPER/GALLERY/RISO GRAPH
SPECIAL INTERVIEW
by GAKU GICLEE EXHIBITION
byGAKUGICLEE
SPECIAL INTERVIEW
byGAKU PRODUCER
NORIMASA SATO
2021.07.20 Tue.
Interview: Yoshiko Asano
Photo: Ryo Inoue
GAKU has autism.
I don't have the words to describe my own work.
(Although, they do possess the richest form of expression that comes from painting.)
Therefore, GAKU's father, who is in charge of producing his music...
From Mr. Sato Nori to the secrets of GAKU's production,
It includes unique initiatives.
We even talked about the details of this exhibition.
001
By drawing pictures,
I found the words
The exhibition features a variety of colorful and pop art pieces. Some depict animals, while others feature abstract geometric patterns. Were all the pieces in the same series created at the same time?
GAKU has phases where he'll draw four or five pieces in the same style in a row. When the phase is over, he'll suddenly switch to something completely different. Nobody knows what he'll draw or when, and even if we encourage him by saying, "This style is really good, why don't you draw another one?", he'll just say "No" (laughs). Looking at the big picture, you can see that he seems to be interested in dots right now, but only GAKU knows how it will all turn out.
GAKU, you started painting suddenly after encountering a painting by Taro Okamoto when you were 16, right? What happened to you at that time?
I think he found a way to express himself, a way of outputting his thoughts, like, "Ah, this is how I should express myself." For GAKU, "pictures are words." Until he started drawing, there was no way of knowing what he was feeling or what he wanted to express.
Drawing is a means of communication for him. He draws more than 200 pictures a year, so he was actually quite talkative (laughs). It also shows that human intelligence cannot be measured by words alone.
Has GAKU changed since he started drawing?
Before he started painting, GAKU was afraid of growing taller. Growing up and becoming an adult was nothing but an uncertain and anxiety-inducing prospect. However, ever since he was able to say, "GAKU's job is painting," that vague, overwhelming anxiety seems to have disappeared. After all, it was the first time he had been praised by someone, which has boosted his confidence.
In his latest art book, he even tries his hand at modeling while wearing makeup. He's a cool, modern, genderless young person, isn't he? → Crowdfunding project "byGAKU - 20" - an art book project commemorating his 20th birthday
Until August 31, 2021
GAKU, who has autistic tendencies, has trouble sitting still, but when we went to the hair salon, that restless GAKU sat still while getting his hair bleached! It seems that when he saw himself with dyed hair and makeup on for the first time, he thought, "I look pretty cool!" (laughs). His unique sense of aesthetics was activated, and he's enjoying fashion.
002
This exhibition will feature and sell only "GICLEE" prints, which are highly detailed reproductions of original artworks. This is quite a pioneering initiative in Japan.
Giclée printing is a technique that uses a resolution of 200 million pixels to reproduce the original artwork with extreme fidelity, and it is already gaining popularity overseas. However, it is generally only done by artists after they have become famous, so those who are knowledgeable about art are particularly surprised by this initiative.
Towards the art world
antithesis
Does this mean you're deliberately stepping into that area because there's something you want to achieve?
We want to challenge what has been considered common sense in the existing art world and present a new way of thinking about art. For example, consider how paintings are priced. Typically, there's a market price of "10,000 yen per size" for works by new artists. This doesn't change no matter how confident the artist is in their work. Conversely, if a painting is large, it will fetch a high price even if it's not very good. That's strange, isn't it? So, we decided to determine the price of each painting based on the criterion of "how much would we be emotionally willing to pay to part with it?"
GAKUの絵には、「Happyライン」と「APライン」という2つのラインがあります。「Happyライン」は、みなさんにハッピーをおすそわけしたいと価格を設定している作品群。「APライン」は、Artist Proofといって、基本的には画家が所有するもので、どうしてもという場合にのみ一対一で価格を設定してお譲りするものです。
今回展示するのは、すべてこの「APライン」の作品です。GAKUにとってのシグネチャーが表現されていて、重要な作品ばかり。ただそれだとなかなかみなさんに手にとっていただくことができないので、ジークレーを制作することにしたというわけです。
003
It's like there will be more ways to access GAKU's artwork. Do you think the people who are interested will be different from those who are looking for a traditional exhibition?
Those who come to see the artwork will likely remain the same in that they are fans of GAKU's paintings, but those who consider purchasing will likely be different. Giclée prints can meet the needs of people who want to display their artwork more casually or purchase it as interior decor.
See more with your own eyes
Let's look at some art!
I can imagine how cheerful I would feel if I had one of GAKU's paintings in my room.
This is just my opinion, but creativity is the process of confronting darkness. The Big Bang in the universe, plants sprouting from the soil, babies being born from the womb—all of these are examples of this. The root of creativity lies in darkness, and the artist's role is to illuminate it when it comes out into the open. Ultimate positivity is having a strong ability to transform the negativity within oneself into positivity. In that sense, GAKU's life, while outwardly bright and happy, involved a considerable period of isolation from society and confinement within himself. I believe his paintings are his way of transforming that darkness into something positive.
The other day, when I put up GAKU's paintings in my shop to advertise this exhibition, an elderly lady spoke to me. She said, "I came in because my eyes met the painting, but it's not open yet, is it?" (laughs). I thought that was wonderful. His paintings attract a wide range of people and don't make them feel intimidated.
Art is also a culture open to everyone, so I think it's fine for each person to judge what's truly good and what they like, just like how people evaluate movies and manga.
GAKU approaches his paintings with genuine feelings every day. I hope this exhibition will be a place where people can directly receive that energy.
byGAKU/Gacchan
American citizen / Born in 2001 / Active in Kawasaki
Born with autism and diagnosed with intellectual disability, he spent nine years in Los Angeles, USA, to cope with his autism. At the age of 15, he returned to Japan and began attending Nobel High School, run by I'm (a welfare facility for people with developmental disabilities) which his father started in Kawasaki. He possesses a unique and distinctive worldview that transcends language. While his communication skills are at the level of a second-grader, he exhibits extraordinary abilities in a realm beyond language. He finds his expressive power in a world that excludes the left brain and relies solely on the right brain. His works are extremely intuitive and emit a wave that seems to emanate power from an external dimension. While modern people are exhausted by restrictive common sense and societal rules, his intuitive and free expressive power asks us, "What is true disability?"
Norimasa Sato / Nori-san
GAKU's father / CEO of I'm Co., Ltd.
CEO of I'm Co., Ltd. After working as a producer for BS Japan, Yahoo! Japan, Tokyo Girls Collection, and Kitson, she entered the welfare business for the sake of her autistic son. She is active in Kawasaki City, focusing on building lifelong infrastructure for children with developmental disabilities. She has received the Kanagawa Welfare Service Award for four consecutive years. Her book is titled "No Need for Therapy!" (Shogakukan). Her son, GAKU, is an internationally recognized artist and has been featured in numerous media outlets.
" We don't need developmental therapy! Blog "
" I'm Staff Blog! "
*Please note that this exhibition and sale will feature high-resolution reproductions (GICLEE), not original artworks. This allows you to enjoy byGAKU's works more affordably and in a more accessible way.
About GICLEE artwork
Giclée is a French word meaning "to spray and apply color." It is a reproduction technique that faithfully reproduces the nuances of the original artwork to the greatest extent possible. Unlike lithographs and silkscreen prints, giclée is characterized by being printed without using a plate. In recent years, giclée works have been exhibited at the Louvre Museum and the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The byGAKU Premium Giclee Series faithfully reproduces the rich colors that GAKU exudes in the original artwork by printing them onto canvas. The canvas borders are also in pop colors, making them suitable for display on their own.
The original images are captured using the world's top-of-the-line Hasselblad H Digital series. Its sensor is twice the size of a typical high-end SLR's 35mm sensor. With an overwhelmingly high density of 200 million pixels, it reproduces the details of the original image to the utmost degree. Each image is captured by dividing it into three RGB channels. Each layer is captured at 16 bits (65,536 gradations), resulting in a total of 48 bits and approximately 281 trillion colors to reproduce the original image. Each image file is 600MB.
[As a measure against COVID-19]
Entry is by mask only, and we ask that you disinfect your hands with alcohol upon entering the store. Furthermore, during the state of emergency, we will limit the number of people allowed in the store at one time to four. Please refer to SUT's infection control guidelines for more information.