Road Map for Artists

I take pleasure in working alongside artists with the same ambition. I appreciate all the updated information from New York, words of encouragement from the director, and generous assistance from all the advisors. Thanks to JCAT, I found my own definitions of art and artists. I am always grateful for the counter with JCAT NY.

Before joining JCAT, I used to believe that being an artist meant working alone. But through JCAT’s concept, my perspective changed—I came to see that artists can and should support one another.
Of course, this kind of support isn’t about relying on each other in a passive way, but rather about mutual awareness and growth. There’s a shared understanding that we each have the drive to improve—whether it's in our artistic skills or our ability to communicate—and it’s that motivation that forms the foundation of our relationship.
Being in an environment where we can exchange those efforts and insights with one another feels truly fulfilling.

Thanks to everyone's support, I’ve been fortunate to exhibit my work in various places, but JCAT continues to be my "home ground." Through JCAT, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in exhibitions in New York and Paris—each one has been an irreplaceable experience.

Before, I had no such thing as a dream. All I did was complete the tasks in front of my eyes in my life. But ever since I did a live painting in front of an audience, I started to wish for more people to see my work. Live painting was all I had done in Japan back then, but it led me to the very first dream I ever had: to have a solo exhibition overseas. In my 20s, I worked day in and day out without getting much sleep, paint whenever I found time, and went out for adventures. I eventually grew interested in art scenes in New York, which led me to start saving money to go there and spend all my spare time on my art. As I went on doing my research on art in New York, I found Ouchi Gallery in Brooklyn. I wrote to them, attaching some of my work as I was highly interested in their activities. After they welcomed me to the team, I had an opportunity to have a solo exhibition at the gallery in 2013. When I first got an offer, I couldn’t move from the fits of shivering, empty-minded. Once I could process it, I replied promptly, struck by both excitement and anxiety. Just an ordinary day suddenly turned into a big deal with a gift from God – a ticket to the solo exhibition in New York.

I first participated in their group exhibitions in 2013, did my first solo exhibition in 2016, and had the second one the following year. On my fourth visit to New York, I came to realize the importance of being there. It is always a truly life-changing experience flying to New York by myself, showing up at the venue, mingling with other artists while feeling the air that fills the gallery, and seeing all the smiles on the faces of art lovers. The sensation you get from engaging in conversations with people there is electrifying. What you get is not only practical experience but also a chance to meet art lovers who watch over you as you mature as an artist. Some of them would come to see me every time I had an exhibition even with the language barrier. I learned the importance of perseverance and creating works that live side by side with others rather than what simply satisfies me. Even after realizing my first dream, new dreams come one after another. If you keep dreaming and speak your dreams out loud, you’d be surprised how easily they can come to reality. My life has become a continuation of dreaming, realizing dreams, finding new ones, and striving to make them come true. Painting and my dog that stays by my side mean a lot to my life. I hope to become an artist who can contribute to animal protection, another thing I am passionate about, through art. My dream right now is to create works that warm up people’s hearts while keeping on finding dreams and moving forward toward them.