Jin Katagiri Finds Joy in the Unknown: “Art and Life Have No Definitive Answers”

An Early Encounter with Art: Astonished by Crowds Flocking to Masterpieces

Can you tell us about your first encounter with art?

Katagiri： My first museum visit was in sixth grade, when my father took me to a Van Gogh Exhibition. I think it was in Ueno. Honestly, I don’t remember much about the artworks themselves [laughs], but what stuck with me was the sight of adults packed tightly into the exhibition space, all eagerly trying to see the paintings. I remember about a hundred people crowding around a single painting, and all I could think was, “Van Gogh is incredible!” and “I want to be like Van Gogh!”

I grew up in the suburbs of Saitama, just like Asako Fujikura, whose exhibit I saw today. So as a child, going all the way to a museum in Tokyo felt like a really special experience. My father worked in architecture and was busy even on weekends, but he loved not only architecture but also painting. Though he could be a bit strict, he would sometimes take time off to bring me to places like the National Museum of Western Art in Ueno or the National Museum of Modern Art in Takebashi.

So as a child, you had the experience of traveling outside your prefecture to encounter art.

Katagiri：Yes, at the National Museum of Western Art, we could enjoy Le Corbusier’s architecture and Western paintings by artists like Monet, and at the National Museum of Modern Art, we could see Kunio Maekawa’s architecture along with a variety of artistic works. I think Tokyo was a particularly exciting place for my father. For me as a child, one of the highlights was getting a poster or pamphlet from the museum shop on the way out. Although, to be honest, I wasn’t much of a reader, so even when I got a pamphlet, I’d often get sleepy before I could finish reading the opening “Welcome” message [laughs].

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].

No Right Answers in Art or Life

During university, you formed the comedy group Rahmens with your classmate Kentaro Kobayashi, marking several turning points in your life. You seem to have a wide range of activities in sculpture, comedy, and theater, giving the impression that you’re constantly forging your own path rather than sticking to a fixed choice.

Katagiri： Meeting my partner Kentaro Kobayashi during school and forming Rahmens allowed me to explore various expressive possibilities through our comedy shows. Along the way, I’ve taken on roles as a comedian, actor, and voice actor, as well as pursuing my artistic endeavors. I appreciate the immediacy and clarity of evaluation in comedy and theater—seeing whether something resonates with the audience right away. Through performing comedy and theater, I’ve realized my desire to connect with the audience and receive their feedback directly, which I believe has influenced my style in clay art. Since there are no right answers in life, I can only pursue my own form of expression in the moment.

Does this sense of “no right answers” also affect how you engage with art today?

Katagiri： Yes, definitely. If you approach contemporary art, which can seem difficult at first glance, with the mindset that there’s “no right answer,” you can enjoy the feeling of uncertainty without being on guard. Overthinking things can take the fun out of it. For me, it’s more important to enjoy the feeling of not understanding than to actually grasp the art.

I learned that the works of Asako Fujikura you showed me today are inspired by the landscapes of suburban cities where I grew up, like highways, shopping malls, dense housing, and farmlands, depicted through unique 3DCG worlds. I was surprised to see how close to home they were! Even when I recognized the familiar landscapes, Fujikura expressed them using 3DCG, sculpture, and words, creating an intriguing and mysterious world.

There were words next to the objects, which piqued my curiosity, so I leaned in to read them. To be honest, I didn’t fully understand them, but I believe art doesn’t have to be something we understand. It’s better to accept the unknown and enjoy it. I relished the mystery of Fujikura’s expressions and left with the question, “What is this?” still lingering.

Asako Fujikura’s Sunlight Announcements / 日当たりの予告群 Venue: WAITINGROOM

Asako Fujikura’s solo exhibition focuses on the depth of infrastructure that traverses urban and suburban landscapes, utilizing primarily 3DCG animation techniques. Centered around the themes of “Sunlight” and “Announcements,” which are fundamental to her creative process and consistently integrated into her works, the exhibition features new video pieces and flat sculptures within an installation space.

Exhibition Period: September 14, 2024 (Saturday) – October 20, 2024 (Sunday)
Address: 1F Nagashima Building, 2-14-2 Suidō, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo
URL: https://waitingroom.jp/exhibitions/sunlight-announcements/

Asako Fujikura is participating in “AWT FOCUS” at Art Week Tokyo. She will also hold a talk session with Junko Oki at the “Meetup.”
For more details, visit: https://www.artweektokyo.com/awt-talks/meetup/