Introducing Kiichiro Ogawa, a Japanese artist who currently calls Paris home. Join us as we delve into the inspirations behind his captivating exhibition, "Guru-Guru," showcased at our Antwerp store.
How did your journey as an artist begin, and at what point did it transition into your full-time profession?
Kiichiro: : My first encounter with art was at the age of six when I was strongly influenced by punk rock. I used to draw on clothes instead of drawing on paper, but as I grew older, the more responsibilities
I gained and the more I moved away from drawing. In 2015, following my divorce and retirement from my longtime employer, I decided to live for myself, not for someone else.
What prepared me for being a painter was when my wife asked me, "What do you want to be?" I answered, "I want to paint on clothes.”
My wife said, "Then you have to start making art as soon as possible.”
With that one sentence, the passion for painting that had been simmering within me overflowed, and I decided that I was ready to live my life as a painter.
Coat EZRA.
Photography by Tijs Vervecken
Each of your artworks are connected to a specific song. Could you elaborate on the significance of music in your creative process and how it influences your artwork?
Kiichiro: I select the music I want to listen to at that
moment and create a work of art based on what I feel in the world of that music. There are all kinds of hints in the music: song titles, melodies, lyrics, and sometimes even memories of the times when I was listening to it.
No matter how many times I listen to it, I always discover something new.
“ I select the music I want to listen to at that moment and create a work of art based on what I feel in the world of that music. ”
Each of the artworks displayed in this exhibition at our Antwerp store was created specifically for this occasion. How did the city of Antwerp and La Collection inspire the creation of these works?
Kiichiro: I think the first time I visited Antwerp was in 2015. I quit my job and travelled around Europe by myself to embark on a journey of self-discovery.
I took the Thalys from Amsterdam to Antwerp and was shocked when I got off at Antwerp station. I thought about what a beautiful building
it was, but there were soldiers with rifles everywhere. I still remember the
contrast between the beautiful cityscape, the stylish people, and the soldiers. Antwerp may not be as flashy as Paris, but it's full of beauty. The city's atmosphere really inspires me.
How do you see fashion and your daily clothing choices reflecting your artistry and creative expression?
Kiichiro: The biggest difference is "movement".
A canvas is flat, but clothes are three-dimensional. Moreover, when a person wears it and walks around, what I draw moves.
So even if it is beautiful when it is still, it also has to be beautiful when it is moving.
When I want to show “movement" while standing still, I paint on canvas.
When I want to show “standing still" while in motion, I paint on clothes.
How do you see fashion and your daily clothing choices reflecting your artistry and creative expression?
Kiichiro: I don't choose clothes with the intention of looking cool or getting compliments from others.
Rather, I want to live my life in such a way that my lifestyle is unwavering and absolute, and that my way of life shows through, regardless of what I wear.
The role of art is to give people a sense of discomfort or strangeness. My role as an artist is to distort beautiful clothes with my art and make them work as a sophisticated dissonance.
9 questions with Kiichiro
Dream travel destination: Norway, I want to go to a restaurant called ‘UNDER'.
Favorite song: Palm Of My Hand by Pale Fountains
Beloved city: Paris
La Collection in one word: "dashingly"
One scent: Cold water
Eternal inspiration: water
Best life advice: Make artworks now (by my wife)
Museum of choice: Sezon Museum of Modern Art
Favorite saying: “If man will not work, he shall not eat”
