INDEX
A Place of Inspiration: Attending Events and Galleries to Meet Icons
I saw in another interview that, during your teenage years, you went to meet artists and activists you were interested in.
Salasa: Yes, from around my senior year of high school to after I dropped out of university, up until about 2021, when I didn’t think I would become a musician. I was interested in a lot of different things, and I thought, if I had to make a living, I wanted to do something I enjoyed. So, whenever there was an opportunity to attend events or exhibitions by people I admired, I would go.
Who did you go to meet?
Salasa: The first person that comes to mind is Fumita Hasegawa. I happened to come across a book of his, which I found fascinating, and I went to meet him at a flea market event he was holding in Nakameguro.
When I was a teenager, I also admired eri from DEPT. For about six months, before I debuted, I worked at the store “Mingtian Haohao” run by eri and the others. It was a time when I really wanted to absorb everything I could about what my role models thought and how they lived. The people I met and the experiences I had during that time have connected to where I am now, and it was a time full of great encounters.
(*Note: DEPT is a pioneering vintage select shop in Nakameguro. Owner eri is also known as an activist for environmental issues like climate change.)
You were very proactive during that time.
Salasa: Yes, I was incredibly spontaneous. I even went to Kyoto alone with my guitar and ended up singing at a gallery unexpectedly [laughs].
Earlier, you mentioned that since starting your music career, you’ve distanced yourself from galleries and museums. Why is that?
Salasa: With music becoming my job, there were changes in my environment, and during the pandemic, when I was feeling down, I went to the Setouchi Triennale. I ended up being more moved by nature than the artwork. Since then, I realized that I’m more drawn to things like nature—things that can’t be controlled—rather than what people create. So, I hadn’t been going much. But today, while looking at the artwork, I realized that it’s still fun and exciting. I think I’ll visit more exhibitions again.
Justin Cagiat & Raphael Delacruz: “The Toys of Peace” Exhibition Venue: Taka Ishii Gallery (complex665)
A two-person exhibition by Justin Cagiat (born 1989, Tokyo) and Raphael Delacruz (born 1989, San Francisco). This exhibition is composed of new works created through their collaboration, featuring diamond-shaped paintings alongside a film installation, The Toys of Peace. The title of the work, which evokes the short story Toys of Peace, is reflected in the teaser, offering a glimpse into the dreamlike imagery of the film’s world.
Exhibition Period: October 5, 2024 (Saturday) – November 10, 2024 (Sunday)
Venue: Taka Ishii Gallery, complex665, 3F, 6-5-24 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tokyo
URL: Taka Ishii Gallery
