The Art Issue Awards

By Japanzine Staff

Wow! Our heads are still spinning from the torrent of entries we received for this special Art Issue! What an incredible array of foreign talent we have here in Japan. We had entries from all over the archipelago, ranging in style and media from glass sculpture, ceramics, oil paintings, drawings, illustration, text, graffiti, collage, through conceptual art and so much more! We want to thank the scores of artists who took the leap and submitted their works to Japanzine. Needless to say the large number of entires has kept us all busy poring over each piece, surfing websites and digesting CVs and bios tabehodai-style. It hasn't been easy choosing the 8 lucky artists for this month's feature, but we've worked tirelessly to select a great cross-section of artists representing excellence across various art disciplines. We hope that you have as much fun leafing through this printed gallery as we had looking at the submissions. For those of you who submitted work but didn't make it into the feature: don't get discouraged, keep working hard and showing your work as much as you can, don't shy away from seeking feedback and, well, most importantly, keep on creating! - Celio H. Barreto Ramos

And The Winners Are...

David Bateman (aka Blousa)

School: I studied and took a Printmaking course at the Norwich School of Art and Design in the UK. I received a 2:1 in Fine Art and several other awards.
Media: Paint, ink on paper, spray paint, computer graphics, mixed media.
Contact: www.statik-g.com
 
Q&A
What are you presenting here?
My work is always changing and I try to keep it fresh - this is a collection of recent work and it displays where I am at the moment. You could say that it expresses a lot of feelings that I have in everyday life. 

Why are you doing what you're doing?
Art is escapism for me and it gives me something to focus on. I feel that my surroundings are a direct influence on what I produce. Also, music is a great inspiration; I try to translate my emotions for music into art.
 
What are your aspirations?
The future is uncertain, but I hope to travel and keep making art to document my life and one day become a credited Artist.

Expert opinions
Celio: "Bold designs, vibrant colors and a prolific body of work. Dude's work is saturated with both strong and raw dynamism and a quiet restraint that affords a level of elegance not often seen in graffiti works. There is an ongoing battle under the surface of his works between untamed, vibrant and bold energies and civilizing aesthetic concerns, the result of which is very mature work that has both plasticity and formality of an exceptional quality. Work this good is not often seen back home, let alone in Japan where graffiti is done by commission only."

Guido: "I like to see people doing graffiti art - or 'aerosol art', as it's referred to these days - and Blousa's work is particularly fine because it doesn't look too gritty or too 'street'. There's a real sense that talent has gone into the production of Blousa's art - there's a big difference between taggers and artists, and I've worked alongside some graffiti artists who are commissioned to produce art in a public space yet they just come in and tag the place without showing any respect. David Bateman is not like that - he's an artist, pure and simple."

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Chip Boles

School: BFA in Drawing at Austin Peay State University in Clarksville, TN; MFA in Illustration at Minneapolis College of Art and Design  
Media: Though I still love and use traditional media, most of my professional work begins as a regular pencil drawing before being scanned into Photoshop, where I add color and otherwise polish the image to its finished state.
Contact: www.chipboles.com

Q&A
What are you presenting here?  
My pieces presented here come from 3 different projects: the 3 images with the small boy come from a children's book that I made for my graduate thesis project, about a small boy who comes to see monsters all around him, and which he learns to deal with and conquer. "TV Man" is a slightly older image made combining my media studies with images I've taken from 1950s ads. "Himeji Joe vs. Ultra-Takoyaki" is part of a series of images I've made during my time in Japan, and this one features the most famous castle in Japan, from my adopted hometown of Himeji. I thought a giant takoyaki would be funny. It's not exactly symbolic of anything, as some have asked - I just like giant monsters.

Why are you doing what you're doing?
I love the act of drawing, of making something that's in my head. The process itself is a pleasure. I love language and get ideas from everywhere, from things people say. Reacting to life in Japan - becoming familiar with a whole new culture of images with its own aesthetic - has been awesome for my work.  

What are your aspirations?
Some fun, rewarding collaborations with various writers on different comics/picture-stories are really catching my interest now, exploring the ways that words and pictures can together tell stories in ways that no other medium can. I think making and publishing stories is my real next step. 

Expert opinions
Celio: "Boles' work has a strongly defined style: it's filled with volume, weight and wit. His renderings of the human figure in a wide array of situations showcase a masterful use of media to communicate ideas clearly and concisely. His figures are filled with emotion and seem to suck us into the dreamlike worlds his characters inhabit. Fear, sadness, anger, worry, joy, passion are all exquisitely captured and emphasized with dramatic composition. Bold colors and dramatic lighting round off this talented artist's work."


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Michael Metteer

School: I'm entirely self-taught in painting. I do have a PhD in Comparative Literature from Princeton, but that's sort of from a previous life...
Media: I've worked in oil and acrylic, but the work submitted is in watercolor.
Contact: www.picasaweb.google.com/vanmet/Paintings

Q&A
What are you presenting here?
The work presented here is part of a series of watercolor landscape studies. The originals are on standard 76 x 57 cm (30 x 23") sheets of archival watercolor paper, though one of the pieces is half that size.

Why are you doing what you're doing?
I've worked mainly in abstract modes in the past and thought it would be fun to do some representational work as well; maybe try to get a maximal combination of abstract and representational styles.

What are your aspirations?
I'd just like to keep going and see what happens.

Expert opinions
Celio: "Michael's paintings have an incredible sense of depth and richness of color. His paintings show not only a representation of the subject, but also convey powerful emotions. The sensitivity of his brushwork allows us to see each tree in his forest scenes jump out of the canvas and surround us with their beauty. The skillfully applied washes of color and the strong defining lines bring out brilliant daylight and fill the landscapes with life, hope and incredible beauty."

Guido: "Michael takes landscapes to another level. These are so much more than simple standard still life paintings of nature: they're beautiful and display such vivid imagination... You can really lose yourself for hours in these paintings."

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Josef Williamson

School: Manchester Metropolitan University, School of Fine Arts, Manchester, United Kingdom (1989-1992). BA hons: Fine Art, Printmaking
Media: Oil on canvas; Woodcut Print.
Contact: www.josefwilliamson.com

Q&A
What are you presenting here?
I’ve submitted portraits of performers from the Tokyo, live poetry-reading scene, which consists mainly, but not exclusively, of foreign poets. They're not really 'portraits', more an attempt to capture a moment rather than a likeness. I sometimes throw in a selective use of the reader's words to add to the suggestion of narrative.

Why are you doing what you’re doing?
I've always liked pictures of people. The performers that I draw in various bars and clubs around Tokyo very much put themselves on display. Their poems often convey quite personal feelings. As such, it can be an exciting and dramatic moment to try to capture. I put my own ideas into the pictures, of course, but also, the poet's words add an extra level of inspiration. There's a lot in this subject.

What are your aspirations?
Success in Art, for me, means making pictures that work. My 'aspirations' are all about making better, larger, more ambitious and complex pictures. Of course, I want as many people to see them and like them as possible, and to this end I exhibit as often as I can and if there are sales, as a result, then, great.

Expert opinions
Celio: "Josef's works are very subversive and dynamic. His strong geometrical figures evoke a primitivist aesthetic, and the messages in the images themselves add to the sense of urgency and frenetic energy inherent in his works. In his paintings the rapid and hurried dry-brush, subdued and seemingly haphazard coloration make his works vibrate as if on an 1100cc chopper driven by a mass murdering ex-con with an itch he can't scratch. In his prints, the strong monochrome, sharp lines and highly dynamic composition scare me shitless, like juggling a scorned ex, glass shards and an angry cat. Very edgy stuff."

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Salleh Mohamad Rizal

School: Universiti Teknologi MARA, Faculty of Art and Design, Malaysia; Nagoya University of Arts, School of Art, Japan
Media: Clay (ceramic).
Contact: Facebook: 'mohamadrizalbinsalleh'

Q&A
What are you presenting here?
My intention with all of my artworks is to make reference to the process of survival - to talk about life, and the will to live. The birth of a creature often begins with an egg, a seed, or in a rounded form. I began to think that the phase of characterization - in the case of human beings, an embryo whose form is simple but suggests the beginning of characterization - is essential to the uniqueness of the objects.

Why are you doing what you're doing?
All of the forms I created were derived from nature - things such as seeds, cocoons, and embryos. Throughout their biological progress, they adjusted to the environment and obtained special characteristics. I hope to show the beauty that can be found in nature, and in doing so I wish to make the viewer more aware of the life around them.

What are your aspirations?
I hope to further extend myself out into the world as a ceramic artist.

Expert opinions
Celio: "Rizal's work shows a level of refinement, sophistication and elegance rarely seen in young artists. The organic forms he shapes in clay are dramatic and lifelike: they seem somehow familiar and exciting at the same time. While many artists express preoccupation with death, solace and suffering, Rizal's work is firmly a celebration of life, light and beauty. This is one artist in the fast lane to the international limelight."

Guido: "This guy's work is fucking amazing. The level of craftsmanship is incredible - there are all sorts of things going on here. People seem to have forgotten that artisans are still artists, but Rizal is full-on without any computer shit. He's an inspiration."

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Daas

School: PTEC Clearwater (Graphic Design), FL., USA. Essentially self-taught as a painter.
Media: Oil, acrylic and stain on wood.
Contact: www.daas-art.com

Q&A
What are you presenting here?  
A series of paintings entitled "The Origami Dream" in which I have fused the traditional look of origami with a contemporary painting style. They represent an imaginary world inhabited by all kinds of animals, insects and creatures of fantasy.

Why are you doing what you're doing?
If you look at my art and smile, then I have achieved my goal. I want my paintings to be uplifting, thoughtful and light-hearted. For me, art is a way to escape the stresses and troubles of everyday life - I believe that it's a pathway to happiness.

What are your aspirations?
I am currently working on an online store to sell prints from my website - daas-art.com - while painting everyday and enjoying my life here in Japan. I hope to continue developing my story about  "The Origami Dream", and I want to show my art to as many people as possible and stay inspired.

Expert opinions
Celio: "This gifted artist creates playful images exquisitely executed on wooden boards, with imagery inspired by origami culture. Making direct references to Japanese culture, both traditional and popular - the former by his choice of materials and composition, the latter to the dominance of cute character design so prevalent in Japan and Asia - Daas creates a body of work that is as entertaining and fun as it is deeply linked to cultural exploration and postmodern discovery. His figures have volume and a quiet dynamism that makes them seem alive and very dream-like."

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Tiery Le...

School:  Ecole Nationale d'Art de Cergy-Pontoise, France; University of Massachusetts (Fine Arts), Amherst, USA
Contact: www.tieryle.net / Facebook: 'Tiery Le'

Q&A
What are you presenting here?
These works try to express various aspects of Human experience, beyond/embracing all cultures, gender, etc., in a simple and naive way - questioning rather than answering, puzzling rather than preaching... The more abstract ones are worlds that sprouted out of emotions I had in the 'real' world, funnily taking shape back in a new form, drinkable with the eyes...

Why are you doing what you're doing?
Wassily Kandinsky, I think, said: "Je peins pour ne pas pleurer." ("I paint in order not to cry.") I would add: to reveal a bit of the countless worlds floating around us, hidden by dumbness and horror. To surprise, excite, make smile and soothe others ...and myself. As for Gods to worship, among other muses, Aboriginal Art and Coltrane always blow my mind...

What are your aspirations?
Paint more. Catch up with time wasted. Discover new directions and refine them. Reduce anxiety. Practice Peace of Mind. Laugh even more. Ignite curiosity. Spread pleasure. And more concretely, try animation and longer Manga stories (Does anyone out there have a scenario they'd like to submit?)...

Expert opinions
Celio: "Simplified shapes and forms populate this artist's body of work. Vivid colors, delicate simplicity of form and sophisticated composition stemming from his illustration and design background, make Le's work resonate with and stand out from the crowd. His work can be described as pop-art insofar as it reflects our current preoccupation with the world and allows each of us to identify with the subject of his paintings easily and directly. Le's work has broad appeal and it easily breaks down language and culture barriers."

Guido: "Le shows just how far you can go with simple images repeated - simple glorified stickmen, and yet they amaze. The beauty is in the differences, the impact. It's amazing how far you can go with simple themes, and people will always be fascinated with the work of this artist."

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Simon Everington

School: Frink School of Figurative Sculpture, UK
Media: Ceramic, wire and paper-clay, ink and acrylic on paper.
Contact: www.simoneverington.com

Q&A
What are you presenting here?
Non-conceptual 2- and 3-dimensional forms - explorative in spirit and figurative at heart.

Why are you doing what you're doing?
Inspiration, for me, comes from the excitement of discovery; discovery of unforeseen forms that emerge and evolve only when the urge to control with the known and specific design is suppressed and innate imagination is allowed to spring and soar.

What are your aspirations?
I aspire to continued playfulness in the passionate pursuit of invention, creativity and life.

Expert opinions
Celio: "Simon's paintings are full of color and gestural strokes that fill the canvas with energy. Stylized forms and broad brush strokes give his paintings a strong sense of fluidity and expressiveness. Simon works the canvas with the same malleability and approach as if he were working with clay, shaping the composition and texture with a bold hand and refined sensitivity. With a background in Japanese ceramics, Simon's paintings leave us with organic images with a full presence declaring their existence loud and clear, and which at the same time are as subtle and delicate as a falling leaf in an autumn breeze."

Guido: "You can go through Simon's paintings while thinking about your chakras - they're so interesting in terms of color. It's also great to see an artist who doesn't just stick to one discipline, but is active and imaginative in various types of media. It's always nice to see something different and brilliant, and Simon's work is those things."

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