NOVOL is a painter/designer who has also created artwork for DJ MURO, 卍LINE, GADORO, and others. In addition to his humanistic portraits, he has collaborated with various companies and apparel brands, creating designs, illustrations, logos, and lettering for a wide range of products, from apparel to food labels and calendars.

He also frequently performs live paintings, and has collaborated with many musicians across Japan, including at Yokohama's GRASSROOTS, where he performs almost monthly. Last year, NOVOL attracted a great deal of attention with the publication of his first collection of works, "ten." We sat down with him in his studio for a lengthy chat.


NOVOL
"When I was little, I was just a normal kid who liked sports and music. I did win an award in an art competition in elementary school, but I don't really remember it that much (laughs)," says NOVOL, looking back on his childhood. Later, in high school, he began playing bass in a hardcore band. But it was a shocking encounter with jazz that sparked his interest in art.

"Jazz and hardcore are usually thought of as very different genres, but the first jazz I ever heard was a copy of Ornette Coleman's 'Free Jazz,' given to me by a bandmate. It was an experimental piece called Double Quartet, with two different bands playing on the left and right sides. When I heard it, I felt the same kind of exhilaration as hardcore. Since then, I've been listening to only that kind of experimental music, and at the same time, I gradually became interested in psychedelic painting."


His career as an artist began by copying jazz album covers, and after uploading his work to social media, he gradually began to interact with artists from all over Japan. Using the connections he made there, he embarked on a solo exhibition tour in 2008, visiting five locations in four cities across Japan. This tour marked a major turning point for his subsequent activities, and it was on this tour that he met MURO, one of Japan's leading DJs. "Financially, it was extremely difficult, as I had to frame the works I had been working on and stay in each location for about two weeks. But that's when I met MURO, and he immediately asked me to work with him. After I designed the cover for "Odorakudo" by MICROPHONE PAGER (a hip-hop unit in which MURO is a member), I began to make more connections, and I think the environment around me changed as well."



His works are characterized by a touch that creates a sense of three-dimensionality and depth reminiscent of oil painting, as well as his unique use of color, but he is basically self-taught. He says that he has acquired his own style through the process of simply continuing to paint.

"For example, when drawing a person's face, the basic procedure is to outline it with a circle, divide it with a cross to determine the position of the eyes, etc. But I only learned that later (laughs). I start by painting the colors and then finish by shaping the outline, which is similar to the way graffiti artists do it. I think I was naturally influenced by them because I loved them and often went to see them." "As I continued to paint, rather than just depicting what I actually saw, I began to want to express sounds and cigarette smoke well, so I tried out various techniques and materials. Some of the techniques I thought I had discovered were actually common techniques for artists (laughs)."


NOVOL says that his purpose in painting is "strongly communication." Having encountered many people and led to various work opportunities, he says he prefers live painting to painting alone at home. He says the real-time reactions he gets from them make it even more rewarding. In recent years, he's performed with New York-based jazz trumpeter Takuya Kuroda and jazz pianist Takeshi Obayashi under the name BLACK DIAMONDS, earning acclaim across the country. "I met Takuya Kuroda through a mutual friend, and we did a session at GRASSROOTS in Yokohama, where they hold a monthly event. Perhaps it was a refreshing break from the usual jazz scene for him, but we both felt it was a great experience, and we even went on tour together afterwards. I met Takeshi Obayashi when I visited Takuya's house in New York, and they were jamming. It was so good I asked if I wanted to jam with him, and we did it."


Furthermore, unlike typical live painting, NOVOL doesn't just paint in time with the music; he also plays music himself through a microphone set up behind the canvas. This performance is unique to him, who has experience in a band.



NOVOL has built a unique career from an unusual background. He will no doubt continue to walk his own path, making the most of his connections with others.