I stopped worrying about competition in contemporary art. It feels a little bit more pure. That's where I am, one step back.
My own belief is that rather than getting involved in trying to change the reality of social-political things, creators can be involved in and express in different ways and be meaningful in different ways, so for me, it's important to leave messages to people of the future and to be engaged with the people now.
Japanese people accept that art and commerce will be blended; and, in fact, they are surprised by the rigid and pretentious Western hierarchy of 'high art.'
The theme my generation explored was the relationship between capitalism and art.
When I was making my debut as an artist, I felt that it was very important that I try to combine the background of my own culture, my people, and the country into the contemporary art world. So that's how I came up with the term 'superflat.'
My company, Kaikai Kiki, is unique because it's an art business. I had to find out how to do this by myself.
My Miyoshi studio in Japan is located in the northern part of Saitama, which puts it in quite close proximity to Fukushima. As such, we can feel the effects of radiation.
If I have a certain opinion, I try to incorporate that into my work.
Rather than a big figure, I guess you could say I'm more of an influential minority symbol.
For children of my generation, anime was an escape from Japan's loser complex following World War II. Anime wasn't foreign. It was our own.
I always have stress.
I've been immersed in manga since I was a kid. I grew up with this culture.
Like many other kids, I liked watching anime.
In Japan, after having lost World War II, the hierarchy that used to exist in the society, from the rich to the poor, has been flattened, especially by the winners, by Americans. As a Japanese artist debuting in America, I really had to bring that kind of theme into the work.
I'm always very interested in breeding. Raising cacti is breeding. My lotus plant collection is breeding. The insects are breeding.
Manga uses Japanese traditional structures in how to teach the student and to transmit a very direct message. You learn from the teacher by watching from behind his back. The whole teacher-master thing is part of Asian culture, I think.
My mum and dad were a little like tiger parents. I hate that, but at the same time, I am a little bit proud.
I don't think it's an unnatural thing at all for my collaborations or projects to be seen as art but entertainment at the same time.
As a young artist in New York, I thought about postwar Japan - the consumer culture and the loose, deboned feeling prevalent in the character and animation culture. Mixing all those up in order to portray Japanese culture and society was my work.
It's true that I pick up many ideas from different Japanese things.
