ZINE/ZAKKA/FREE PAPER/GALLERY/RISO GRAPH
SPECIAL INTERVIEW
Honami Shigeta
Marine life and
The story of waste,
Woven with art.
Honami Shigeta
SPECIAL INTERVIEW
June 1, 2022 (Wed.)
Interview: Eisuke Koyasu
Photo: Ryo Inoue
Honami Haneda is an aquatic life painter.
Using various creatures that live in water, the ocean, and near water as subjects
I am working on a project.
In addition to pen drawings and wall art,
In recent years, mixed media has emerged, where Japanese painting materials are carved to create lines.
Through upcycled art using marine debris,
They have produced numerous innovative works that raise awareness about environmental issues.
The theme is the awe and longing I've felt since childhood.
What led you to choose aquatic creatures as the theme for your creative work?
When I first started working seriously as an aquatic life artist, I created my work using pen and ballpoint pens, but I had been drawing animals since I was a child. Theきっかけ (trigger) was the local aquarium in Aomori, which I had been going to since I was a child. My encounter with the sea and marine life began there. And the first aquatic mammal I ever encountered was a dolphin.
As the saying goes, the origin of life is the sea, and for me, the sea is a place where the human soul returns and a place where new life is born. For me, it is also a place where I can feel both life and death at the same time. I have felt awe and admiration for marine life since I was a child. I am drawn to their pure, sincere, and earnest way of living. It was very natural for me to feel respect for aquatic life and to begin creating art with the theme of "the cycle of life."
Trial and error in expressing the cycle of life
What was the process that led you to arrive at your current unique style of expression?
Around springtime in 2020, while snorkeling in Okinawa, I witnessed a scene where a large amount of trash, such as plastic bags and other plastic products, was floating in the sea, which had been beautiful just the day before. Although I had some knowledge about marine debris from attending lectures on the subject, the sight was still a great shock. In fact, some of the "buoys" that fishermen use to float their nets are made of plastic.
When I have work near the sea, I try to pick up trash as close by as possible @Echizen Coast (beach near Ayukawa Beach in Fukui Prefecture)
The reality is that these plastics are washing ashore in large quantities on beaches all over Japan. According to those who are actually collecting them, they are having trouble disposing of them after collection because they would otherwise become industrial waste. Their words really struck a chord with me: "Plastics are petrochemical products. Petroleum itself is believed to have originated from the accumulation of the remains of ancient organisms and plankton. In other words, petroleum, which was born from the Earth, has been transformed into plastic by human hands and returned to us."
The problem isn't plastics or petrochemicals, but us, who don't use them properly. More than anything, I was shocked to realize that despite achieving my long-held dream of becoming a professional aquatic life painter and working with the welfare of living creatures in mind, my creative work and lifestyle, which involve consuming large quantities of plastic ballpoint pens and everyday items, were actually contributing to the negative impact on the environment. So, I decided to contribute in my own small way by collecting buoys and using the spheres to depict the ocean and its creatures, creating upcycled art that revives waste.
It was around that time that I began to explore new techniques using natural materials, focusing on the clean art materials and pigments unique to Japanese painting that I encountered at the Japanese painting class I was attending. In Japanese painting, natural pigments called suikan pigments are used, made from raw materials such as rocks, soil, and seashells. When creating colors, natural raw materials are added, such as nikawa (protein found in animal hides and bones) and gofun (white pigment used in Japanese painting made from seashells). I wondered what would happen if I combined these with pen drawing, and after much trial and error, I arrived at my current method of expression called mixed media, in which I carve and scrape suikan pigments to create white line drawings. By layering the paint like geological strata, I express the "passage of time," and by carving and drawing lines, I express the image of "going back in time."
The shavings, considered "cremated remains," are also carefully preserved. Only a small amount is produced per piece, so it takes about 15 pieces to finally accumulate enough for one bottle.
On the base of the sea, painted with watercolors, creatures are depicted using white lines scraped away with a design knife. The scraps are then gently brushed away.
Furthermore, I envision animal-derived materials like animal glue as flesh and blood, the white pigment used as a base coat as bones, and the shavings from the creatures depicted with flesh and blood and bone as ashes, symbolizing their ashes ascending to heaven and returning as new life. By establishing this method of expression, the themes of "reincarnation" and "the cycle of life" have taken on even greater persuasive power within me. When these works reach the hands of customers, the reality of the world's oceans will be conveyed, and it will also help those who are struggling with the disposal of marine debris. Ultimately, I hope that this will contribute, even in a small way, to improving the environment.
The feelings of gratitude expressed in this art book and the path leading to enlightenment
Future creative activities,
Please also tell us about your prospects for expanding your activities.
I'm finally turning 30 this year. I wanted to express my gratitude to everyone who has supported me so far, so I decided to publish an art book. Original artwork can be expensive, but an art book is more affordable and can reach a wider audience. My long-time fans and my family in Aomori will be able to see the trajectory of my work. Of course, it's also to achieve the goal I set for myself: "a solo exhibition at 25, and an art book at 30."
Recently, round-shaped works have become the main focus, representing cycles and playing on the Japanese word for "connection" or "relationship." The artwork on the table is upcycled art made from ocean buoys.
My family is a family of artisans; my grandfather was a tailor, and my grandmother and mother were hairdressers. I grew up strongly influenced by the teaching to "learn a trade and make a living." On the other hand, my parents weren't able to fulfill all of their dreams, so they always encouraged me to "do what you want to do." I'll never forget the day when my work was featured in a corner of a magazine during my student days, and my mother went to buy it on the release day and told me, "I cried in front of the store." That's why I especially want everyone to think, "I'm glad I supported Honami Haneda," by putting my growth into this art book and showing it to them.
I've been thinking about how I can give back to my hometown of Aomori, which raised me, and I've started working on creative projects that incorporate local materials such as pigments and washi paper used in local Nebuta festivals, and lacquer used in Tsugaru lacquerware. I'm considering various options, such as drawing dolphins and other creatures on washi paper with natural pigments and lighting them up, hoping to connect these ideas to awareness campaigns. In the future, I want to strengthen my efforts to raise awareness about marine debris and the reality of the global environment from an everyday perspective, through activities like living a plastic-free life and litter cleanup.
Since becoming an independent professional, I've discovered the joy of collaborating with various people and creating synergistic effects, but at the same time, I've also realized that there are many things I can't do alone. My goal now, at 30 years old, is to become a professional that customers who buy my work can be proud of. Honami Haneda still has a long way to go.
Honami Haneda Solo Exhibition 2021 @SUTGALLERY
Honami Haneda
Aquatic life painter
Born in 1992 in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture.
Selected for the 2017 exhibition.
First solo exhibition held in 2018
2020 Learning about Marine Debris
2022 Crowdfunding
Using aquatic creatures as a theme, the artist depicts the resilience and transience of life. The flowing lines created by carving layers of paint express "the breath felt from that life." While creating pen drawings, the artist felt uneasy about the continuous generation of waste, and turned to Japanese painting pigments such as rocks, soil, and seashells, leading to the current mixed-media works. The artist also dedicates energy to upcycling art, breathing new life into discarded buoys (floats) and giving them a new life.
Honami Haneda's First Art Book Production Project
My life plan, part two: "To create an art book by the age of 30"
This time, in order to fulfill my dream, Honami Haneda, I am launching a crowdfunding campaign.
We are now asking for your support.
Further details will be available on the crowdfunding site "Campfire".
It is scheduled to start on September 16, 2022.
SUT column
The amount of marine debris continues to increase.
One of the targets of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is to "prevent and substantially reduce all types of marine pollution, including marine debris and eutrophication, in particular pollution from land-based activities, by 2025." Furthermore, at the G7 Charlevoix Summit (June 2018), all G7 countries approved the "Charlevoix Blueprint for Healthy Oceans and Resilient Coastal Communities" concerning the conservation of the marine environment, stating that it will "improve marine knowledge, promote sustainable oceans and fisheries, support resilient coasts and coastal communities, and address marine plastic waste and marine debris." Even with these international trends, if the awareness of each individual does not change, marine debris will not decrease but will continue to increase. Plastic products are by far the most common type of marine debris. Further breakdown shows that beverage bottles are by far the most numerous, followed by fishing nets, buoys, and other tools used for work at sea. As something we can do, reducing beverage bottles can be solved with everyday ideas, but it is currently more difficult to do so with marine tools. While plastic offers convenience and economic benefits, it also contributes significantly to ocean pollution. What can we do going forward? To protect marine life, we must be mindful and consider these issues; this is the first step.
Survey results of marine debris in Japan / Percentage of marine debris by type
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