-What does Mother's Day mean to you, Morimoto-san?

My mother's birthday is May 8th, so it's very close to Mother's Day. So, even as a child, I was thinking about how to differentiate myself (laughs). For birthdays, I would buy presents, and for Mother's Day, I would give her things I could make myself, things I couldn't buy. So, for Mother's Day, I often wrote stories and turned them into picture books. Ever since I was little, I loved giving hand-drawn greeting cards to my parents and friends. I would make cards and give them as gifts, and they would be happy. I would receive praise, and I would try to make better ones next time. Through this process, my skills gradually improved, and I have become the person I am today.

-We live in an age where creations made by hand and creations made using digital techniques coexist. As an artist, what do you think about this era?

I think it's important, even with digital expression, to leave room for interpretation and imagination, to leave the answer to the viewer. If the world were solely about digital, correct answers, people would become tired and strange. That's why I feel that in this day and age, we should create works that move back and forth between the warm and digital worlds, like the shoreline. It's interesting to have both perspectives, not just one, digital or analog.

For example, the "Goen Mandala" that appears in my work depicts both beautiful and ugly things. It's a design that continues to expand, never ending. In other words, design doesn't determine the correct answer. I believe in people's imagination, so I'd be delighted if viewers could weave their own stories with it.

As part of Mitsukoshi Isetan's Mother's Day campaign, "goen° plant planet by Morimoto Chie - From the Haha Tree to the Boku Tree. A story passed down through the generations," directed by Morimoto Chie, will be held on all floors of the Isetan Shinjuku Main Building from April 29th to May 10th. From the 29th to May 5th, a promotion will also be held at The Stage on the first floor of the Main Building.