Graffiti culture is said to have originated in the 1970s in the street scene of the Bronx, New York, where graffiti was painted on walls and trains using spray paint and felt-tip pens. In recent years, graffiti has gradually gained recognition in Japan and become an integral part of people's lives, with the spread of "legal walls," an initiative to clean up city walls and repurpose them as legal canvases for murals. Furthermore, fashion and art are increasingly intertwined. Many brands announced collaborations with various artists for their Spring/Summer 2019 collections, and the relationship between the two has become so deep and inseparable in recent years. Isetan Shinjuku will host the event "SOUL CAMP 2018 at ISETAN" from September 12th to 17th. This unique event, recreating the urban music festival "SOUL CAMP," which began in 2015, will feature live music, festival fashion, merchandise, and festival food. Furthermore, nine Japanese painters will be participating in a live painting event during the event.
One of them, Hirotton, is a painter who is influenced by rebel music such as punk and hardcore, as well as skater culture, and is known for his works that feature natural motifs such as plants and animals, as well as a style that conveys political messages. We spoke to him while he was in attendance at his solo exhibition "NO TOMORROW" held at HENRY HAUZ in Harajuku at the end of July, when a record-breaking heat wave was in full swing.
"The title of this solo exhibition, “NO TOMMOROW”, refers to the idea that "Paint As If There's No "The meaning of the phrase is 'No Tomorrow (paint as if there is no tomorrow)'. At first glance, it may seem like a negative phrase, like 'there is no tomorrow,' but there is a positive message hidden within it ('paint as if there is no tomorrow'). This time, I've also displayed some optical illusion-like works, and if you change the angle, you see something different. In fact, that's the theme of the exhibition. I want the viewer to keep their antennae up, and to feel it with their own individual sensibilities."
NO TOMORROW
As he explained, this solo exhibition featured many works that combined sinister skulls with his signature motifs, such as natural flora and fauna. His work is characterized by delicate linework and a realistic touch, but surprisingly, he studied metal welding rather than painting at Osaka University of Arts after graduating from high school. However, a stay in London, England, significantly changed his values and his life. Originally a fan of London punk, he visited London on a trip while still a student and was so inspired by it that he returned to the UK after graduating. He ended up staying there for an extended period. "I didn't have any specific goals, but I just went there. The skater guys I was living with there were making their own zines and stuff. The quality wasn't particularly high, but I was really influenced by their attitude of "I'll just send it out myself" and their passion. Of course, I didn't have the materials or tools over there, so I couldn't do things like metalwork. So, the first thing I did was paint. I don't think I would have started painting if I hadn't gone to London."
INVISIBLE
This was the start of his career as a painter, using mainly Posca paints. "Posca paints are portable and hold a lot of ink, so you can paint smooth lines on walls and things like that without the paint smudging. There are people in the UK who order Posca paints from Japan. That's how high-quality they are. Last year, I created a collaborative piece at a joint exhibition with BB Bastidas, an American painter my age, and it was there that I discovered the appeal of acrylic paints, like the ones I'm using this time. I've incorporated them extensively this time."
He also spoke about his own style, which pays attention to minute details, and the frequent use of plant and animal motifs: "I've always been attracted to graffiti that is drawn in great detail. When I think about it, I've always loved animal encyclopedias and NHK nature documentaries. I also like insects, and when I was little I wanted to become an insect expert (laughs)."
Hirotton's "5 Minutes Drawing" series, which was also featured in large numbers in this exhibition, also well represents his stance as a painter. Some of his works convey simple yet powerful social messages, while others seem to express his emotions. "Usually, I don't always create the message first or the motif first, but with this '5 Minutes Drawing' series, I start with lyrics from my favorite songs, lines from movies, or ideas that come to mind in my daily life, and then I draw a line out of it in about five minutes. Lately, I've become more particular about it, so it actually takes me about 30 minutes (laughs)."
Finally, we asked him about the punk and skater cultures that are at the core of his work as a painter and artist. What did he gain from those cultures? "I think it's the DIY spirit. We print T-shirts and other things ourselves instead of sending them to a company, because we feel that doing it that way conveys a sense of passion. We try to do things ourselves as much as we can. I think that's important."
One of them, Hirotton, is a painter who is influenced by rebel music such as punk and hardcore, as well as skater culture, and is known for his works that feature natural motifs such as plants and animals, as well as a style that conveys political messages. We spoke to him while he was in attendance at his solo exhibition "NO TOMORROW" held at HENRY HAUZ in Harajuku at the end of July, when a record-breaking heat wave was in full swing.
Hirotton
"The title of this solo exhibition, “NO TOMMOROW”, refers to the idea that "Paint As If There's No "The meaning of the phrase is 'No Tomorrow (paint as if there is no tomorrow)'. At first glance, it may seem like a negative phrase, like 'there is no tomorrow,' but there is a positive message hidden within it ('paint as if there is no tomorrow'). This time, I've also displayed some optical illusion-like works, and if you change the angle, you see something different. In fact, that's the theme of the exhibition. I want the viewer to keep their antennae up, and to feel it with their own individual sensibilities."
NO TOMORROWAs he explained, this solo exhibition featured many works that combined sinister skulls with his signature motifs, such as natural flora and fauna. His work is characterized by delicate linework and a realistic touch, but surprisingly, he studied metal welding rather than painting at Osaka University of Arts after graduating from high school. However, a stay in London, England, significantly changed his values and his life. Originally a fan of London punk, he visited London on a trip while still a student and was so inspired by it that he returned to the UK after graduating. He ended up staying there for an extended period. "I didn't have any specific goals, but I just went there. The skater guys I was living with there were making their own zines and stuff. The quality wasn't particularly high, but I was really influenced by their attitude of "I'll just send it out myself" and their passion. Of course, I didn't have the materials or tools over there, so I couldn't do things like metalwork. So, the first thing I did was paint. I don't think I would have started painting if I hadn't gone to London."
INVISIBLEThis was the start of his career as a painter, using mainly Posca paints. "Posca paints are portable and hold a lot of ink, so you can paint smooth lines on walls and things like that without the paint smudging. There are people in the UK who order Posca paints from Japan. That's how high-quality they are. Last year, I created a collaborative piece at a joint exhibition with BB Bastidas, an American painter my age, and it was there that I discovered the appeal of acrylic paints, like the ones I'm using this time. I've incorporated them extensively this time."
He also spoke about his own style, which pays attention to minute details, and the frequent use of plant and animal motifs: "I've always been attracted to graffiti that is drawn in great detail. When I think about it, I've always loved animal encyclopedias and NHK nature documentaries. I also like insects, and when I was little I wanted to become an insect expert (laughs)."
Hirotton's "5 Minutes Drawing" series, which was also featured in large numbers in this exhibition, also well represents his stance as a painter. Some of his works convey simple yet powerful social messages, while others seem to express his emotions. "Usually, I don't always create the message first or the motif first, but with this '5 Minutes Drawing' series, I start with lyrics from my favorite songs, lines from movies, or ideas that come to mind in my daily life, and then I draw a line out of it in about five minutes. Lately, I've become more particular about it, so it actually takes me about 30 minutes (laughs)."
Finally, we asked him about the punk and skater cultures that are at the core of his work as a painter and artist. What did he gain from those cultures? "I think it's the DIY spirit. We print T-shirts and other things ourselves instead of sending them to a company, because we feel that doing it that way conveys a sense of passion. We try to do things ourselves as much as we can. I think that's important."
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