Realized with the guidance of UNIQLO. Residents of the Louvre drawn with the lines of Osamu Nagaba. | feature

PROFILE

Yu Nagaba

Born in Tokyo , 1976. Graduated from Tokyo Zokei University, Department of Design. In addition to showing his own work in solo exhibitions, he has provided illustrations for apparel brands, advertisements, magazines, and books. He is the author of "I DRAW," a collection of his works. He is also the co-author of "100 Movies for Everyone" and "100 Love Movies for Everyone.

I am always asking myself the same question, and I want to paint a better picture.

I heard that you had a solo exhibition at SAI in Shibuya the year before last, which ended with a great success. We also heard that you had a solo exhibition overseas last year. What do you think about your recent activities?

Longer Lengths:Last year I had a solo exhibition in Taiwan and participated in an art fair in Shanghai . . I am now working not only on illustrations, but also on art. Just recently, I rented another studio near the one I am currently using. I plan to use it as a space for large paintings. Also, NFT is gaining momentum, so I think I need to learn more about that area as well.

I hear that the NFT market is growing very large.

Longer Lengths:Yes . You can't ignore it anymore, and you are willing to take on that world as well.

Do you find that your illustrations and your artwork change the way you draw?

Longer Lengths:. Both are done with the desire to create interesting work. In the case of client work, when it becomes a large project, I sometimes find it difficult to create something interesting because I think too much about the other party. In order to avoid this, I try to be aware of my own position and make sure that I can express my own color, no matter who I am collaborating with.

Do you think you've been able to do that over the course of your career?

Longer Lengths:I have been doing it with that kind of feeling since long ago. My current touch was born not out of a desire to be liked by others or anything like that. It is a style that I have said to myself, "This is what I want. Therefore, I want to present to the world what I feel is good, even if it is not accepted by everyone.

In a sense, you've reopened the door.

Longer Lengths:Yes, I am reopening the door (laughs). Anyway, it's like I'm just going through my own thing. But that's not an easy thing to do. My feelings are changing day by day, and I am always asking myself, "How is this? I always ask myself, "What is this?

Do you feel any pressure to collaborate with a global brand like UNIQLO?

Longer Lengths:I feel like I'm being crushed every time (laughs). (Laughs.) But they call on me, so I just say, "I'll do it," and I'm willing to take the challenge.

Do you still gain a lot by doing this?

Longer Lengths:This is just my personality, but if I keep doing the same thing over and over again, I gradually get stuck in a rut. This affects my work as well, so I try to raise the bar a little bit. Of course, I feel pressure to do so, but for me, it is a comfortable feeling. When I finish a painting and it pays off, I feel glad that I did it. What I gained from that experience will lead me to the next one, and I feel like I want to take on a new challenge. So, I just have to do it.

What exactly do you do to raise the bar?

Longer Lengths:. For example, in my case, I do subtraction. The more lines I use in my drawings, the more explanatory they become. This may help more people understand my work, but it is not the direction I am aiming for. . So you want to reduce the lines and still make it something that can be understood by more people. That way, it feels more rewarding.

You want to reach as many people as possible with as few hands as possible.

Longer Lengths:Yes, that's right. I think it's cooler that way.