Interview

With a focus on public art, The Japan Traffic Culture Association interviewed successful artists and prominent figures in each field. In this popular section, they talk about their passion for art that inspires them and stories behind producing their work.
*The contents are as of the time of the interview.

• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 26th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  New

  NOGUCHI Shunsuke
  Painter

  Painter NOGUCHI Shunsuke consistently pursues "light". Currently, he is focusing on developing the next generation, while continuing to expand his own depth.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 25th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  OKUTANI Taichi
  Painter

  OKUTANI Taichi, a painter whose father is OKUTANI Hiroshi, one of Japan's leading Western-style painters, surprisingly said, "I never set out to be a painter."
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 15th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  ODANI Motohiko
  Artist / Sculptor

  His work is based on sculpture, but uses a variety of media such as photography, video, and installation. His highly accomplished works are highly acclaimed internationally.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION

  The 27th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  HONGO Yoshiya
  Sculptor

  Sculptor HONGO Yoshiya is the 27th recipient of the International TAKIFUJI Art Award. He will present works based on the history and image of stained glass at the Traffic Culture Exhibition 2023.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 13th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  TANADA Koji
  Sculptor

  He is a sculptor known for his statues with a unique sense of floating. Through the act of facing the wood and carving human figures, He continues to pursue what it means to be human.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 9th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  YANOBE Kenji
  Contemporary artist

  He is a contemporary artist who was one of the first to incorporate elements of subcultures into his works. Despite the pop appearance of his works, they carry a strong message.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 9th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  MORIMOTO Gen
  Painter

  He has broadened his range of expression to include prints, oil paintings, and drawings, says that painting is a "mirror" for both the artist and the viewer.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 9th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  OMORI Akira
  Painter

  His works are drawn on a flat surface, but look like 3D objects. By removing the outside of the painting, it makes us realize the void space in the painting, its mysteriousness.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 8th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  SUENAGA Toshiaki
  Japanese painter

  During his many years in Germany, he pondered "what is Japanese painting?" and came to the conclusion that "all paintings by Japanese artists are Japanese paintings."
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 6th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  HARA Satoshi
  Metalwork artist

  HARA Satoshi, a metalwork artist and professor of Kanazawa College of Art. He says that materials and techniques are the basis of crafts, it is important to feel things through one's own hands.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 5th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  NARA Yoshitomo
  Painter and Sculptor

  His taste for literature and music preceded and followed by art, but they are all connected in his mind as one in the sense of "image transformation".
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION

  The 37th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  KOMI Taku
  Sculptor

  Sculptor KOMI Taku has mainly worked on stone works. He created a work using stained glass for the first time as an invited artist for the Transportation Culture Exhibition 2022, breaking new ground.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 8th TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  YUZAWA Sachiko
  Professor, Tama Art University

  For a designer, it is important to think about the story you want to tell in a given space, says YUZAWA Sachiko, professor of Tama Art University and winner of the 8th TAKIFUJI Art Award.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP EXHIBITION

  The 38th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  XU Ning
  Painter

  XU Ning, the 38th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner. As an invited artist for the Traffic Culture Exhibition 2021, she challenged her first work using ceramic plates.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 36th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  KANEMARU Mikako
  Japanese painter

  KANEMARU Mikako, a painter, created her first ceramic art as an invited artist for The Traffic Culture Exhibition 2019.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 29th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  OHKOJIMA Maki
  Artist

  OHKOJIMA Maki, the 29th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner who deepens her reflection on the earth’s environment and on humans, nature, and the universe.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 20th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  UCHIUMI Satoshi
  Artist

  UCHIUMI Satoshi , the 20th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner who is producing works in many public spaces such as Toranomon Hills and Palace Hotel Tokyo.
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 1st TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  AOKI Noe
  Sculptor

  Ms. Aoki Noe, a sculptor well known both in Japan and in abroad, is the first recipient of The TAKIFUJI Art Award, which was founded in 1980.She is an artist supple and natural with a worldwide viewpo
• 
  SCHOLARSHIP

  The 24th International TAKIFUJI Art Award winner

  OHNARI Tets
  Sculptor

  Tets Ohnari, a sculptor who won the 24th International TAKIFUJI Art Award, has been living in Czech Republic to create works since 2010.
• 
  PUBLIC ART

  Japan needs a “1% for Art” Program

  IGARASHI Takenobu
  Sculptor/ Former President of Tama Art University

  Mr. IGARASHI took advantage of “1% for Art” both in the United-States and in Taiwan to produce his art works there.