SHIGERU IDEI

There are many artists that I have been interested in because there are many great artists who created great works; Jasper Johns, Dali, Cezanne, Kitaj, Klimt, Anselm Kiefer, Duchamp, Ben Nicholson, Gerhard Richter, Gyokusai Kawanabe and Natuyuki Nakanishi.

I have been staring at their works from the view point of an artist to follow them and learn from them; what they had learned from their harbingers, what they had negated and what they had created by themselves. Their ways of thinking, secrets of creativity and technics are very real to me and I learned many things from them. However, I never wish to follow their ways of live.

I draw stronger inspiration from musicians and dancers rather than artist; their life force, intuition and invisible power. Whenever I listen to the music of Debussy and Ravel, I feel COLORs. I’ve never missed to appreciate ballet performances of William Forsythe when he comes to Japan and I could find LIGHT from the depth of his esoteric style. For a period of time, I was deeply impressed with Maurice Béjart and the dance of deceased Jorge Donn, I realized the life and the death, ecstasy and sorrow from each moment of truth. As not because they create texture by pigments but by space and spiritualness, I think that I was struck by the divine afflatus.

What I also esteem highly is the viewpoint of child. I determine that I will never forget the pristine viewpoint of new born baby and child and then depict images on canvases. I put my seal impression carved "Eyes of Child" on back of the canvases with my signature.

I want to create works which stimulate communication with person who appreciate them. Works, once they are created by the artist, go independent from artist. Each piece of work will meet viewers, communicate with them and share values and sensation.

Hence, I think it is meaningful to exhibit my works in countries where people speak different languages from what I am speaking.


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