INDEX
Questioning the Excitement of Art: A Struggle During Art University
Based on your childhood interest in art, did you pursue a printmaking major at Tama Art University after graduating from high school?
Katagiri: That’s right. During high school, I visited museums for extracurricular activities and began to see various artworks. At first, I thought, “What is this? I don’t understand at all,” but gradually, I started to enjoy thinking about, “What are they trying to express?” Still, none of that left as strong an impression on me as the Van Gogh Exhibition I saw as a child. It made me realize that I wanted to be a painter like Van Gogh.
However, during my high school years, there was no internet, and it was difficult to connect with unfamiliar worlds or find ways to present my artwork to others. I thought, “If I go to art school, maybe I can become like Van Gogh,” so I entered a preparatory art school without really understanding what it entailed. But my work was treated like garbage, and everything would be redone from above… It wasn’t as kind as the world depicted in the manga Blue Period [laughs].
It sounds like it was quite a challenging experience…! Now, you’ve carved out a unique path as a sculptural artist rather than focusing on two-dimensional works and have built a successful career. Did you encounter a turning point in your artistic expression after entering university?
Katagiri： After several years of drawing in the strict environment of prep school, I finally got into art university, only to be faced with professors telling me, “Exam paintings aren’t real art!” In art schools abroad, entrance exams typically emphasize portfolios and interviews, but in Japan, they focus heavily on practical tests. At times, I felt stifled and thought to myself, “Maybe art is boring.”
Once I graduated from art university, I started to sense that the conversations happening within the art world were somewhat insular. I often found myself asking, “How connected are we to society beyond the art we create?”
It seems you are intentionally aware of the importance of connecting art to society.
Katagiri：That could be the case. By no longer overvaluing the myths surrounding prep schools and art universities, I began to genuinely pursue my own expression in a meaningful way. I initially aimed to become a painter and wanted to major in oil painting, but after failing the exam, I ended up in the printmaking program as an alternate. Yet, even in printmaking, I ended up creating mostly sculptural pieces instead. I found that I enjoyed sculpture more, and the feedback from others was positive, so I continued down that path. Now, I create clay art and soft vinyl figures as a sculptural artist. During my time at university, my friends would often say, “Your painting isn’t great, but your sculptures are really impressive!” While I appreciated the compliment, it left me feeling a bit conflicted [laughs].
