[“The Time I Saw a Butterfly”]

The time I tried to catch a butterfly. Since it lightly flew away. It was somehow like a dream. Indistinguishable from the seasonal colors. The beauty of the butterfly. Remained in the light. Becoming one with the flowers. The butterfly will transcend the seasons. People will change their way of life. When they become one with their dreams. While lining up and stacking up dreams and butterflies. I am now looking up at the inside of beauty. And I'm living in the reverberation that I acquired.

by Tomoya Masuzawa [21 Years Old / Tokyo, Japan / A Person with a Physical Disability ]

NEWS!

My painting, "Terra's Dream" is featured on Fort Mason Center Open Studios 2008!

October 2 ~ 25 Art Show!

October 2 (Thur) - October 25
The Kitsch, Candy and Corruption Show
Z. Ciccolato
474 Columbus Avenue @Green Street
San Francisco, CA 94133 directions

Open Studios @Fort Mason on October 11th (Sat) & 12th (Sun)

October 11 (Sat) - October 12 (Sun)
11AM~6PM

Open Studios
Fort Mason Center
Bldg. C, Room#370
San Francisco, CA 94123
directions

Open Studios on October 11th & 12th

Now I am so into getting ready for the SF Open Studios on October 11th and 12th. It will be at Fort Mason Center, Bldg C, Room #370, from 11AM ~ 6PM. Please stop by!!!

Love Shanghai & Hangzhou!

I just came back from my Shanghai-Hangzhou trip. It was really a full five-day-trip but I was able to cover places I really wanted to visit... I love love LOVE both places! I got so excited with their colorful images in towns everywhere I visited.

Hangzhou is a very beautiful city. If you were an artist, you should visit there one day. Hangzhou will give you deep inspirations.

Now, Shanghai and Hangzhou are on my "Places To Visit Top 10 List"!

Beckmann's "Self-Portrait With Horn"

Max Beckmann's paintings were absolutely not overtly political but covertly political.

I wish we could see his painting, "Self-Portrait With Horn" in SF one day.

Check it out:

http://www.nysun.com/arts/a-persecuted-artists-call-for-help/82376/

New Solo Show in July 2008

I just installed my new pieces at the San Mateo City Hall Gallery. Many of them are colorful images from matsuri (festivals) in Japan. I hope you have time to stop by and enjoy them as much as I enjoyed creating them. Here is information about the show:

July 9 - July 31

Solo Exhibition

San Mateo City Hall Civic Gallery

330 West 20th Avenue, San Mateo, CA 94403-1388javascript:void(0)

Phone 650 522 7000

Hours 8AM~5:30PM, Mon-Fri



Please check out the statement at:
http://taikofujimura.com/matsuri_statement.htm

Thank you!

”Judgmental” is so negative

自分が一生懸命やりたいことを達成しようと頑張っているのに私や社会のためにやめた方がいいとはっきり言う友達がいる（ここでフルタイムのアーティストになろうとしていることを言っているわけではありません。詳細はここでは避けます。）私の家族や他の仲のいい友達は、自分が原因で社会に対して迷惑をかけるかもしれないリスクよりも私のことを信じて私のやりたいことを応援してくれている。だから彼女の態度は私を悲しくさせる。１０年以上考えて決心をしたのだから、正直、応援して欲しいと思う。特に仲のいい友達だからこそ応援して欲しい。彼女の意見は尊重するけれど、私だったら慎重に決断を下した友人に絶対そんなことを言わない。一生懸命頑張ろうとしている人にネガティブなエネルギーを与えたくないから。逆にどうしたらリスクが少なくなるか一緒に考えてあげると思う。彼女が初心者の時になんらかの形で他人に迷惑をかける原因になったことは一度もないと、彼女は断言できるのだろうか。経験を積んできたからこそ、今は社会に迷惑をかけていないと断言できるのではないだろうか。

命がけで頑張っている人は、あらゆる可能性や社会に及ぼすリスクを慎重に考慮してそれでもやりたい、またはやらなければならないと思っているわけだから、その人が特に仲のいい友人だったらそっと見守ってあげたいと思う。はじめからその人の能力を信頼しないで必ず他人に迷惑をかける原因になると批判的になるのは間違っていると思う。そのリスクに対して真剣に取り組んでクリアしようと努力している友達を、私は心から応援したいと思う。評価してあげたいと思う。その友達が病気の為に医者からやめなさいと言われない限り、リスクを防ぐようにアイデアを提案してあげると思う。一生懸命努力しているその友達を信じてあげたいと思う。

それに何事も最初からプロの人はいない。プロの人たちは、プロになるようにと命がけで練習を積んで努力している後輩たちを助けるような社会であって欲しい。はじめから見かけや性格だけでこの人には能力がない、社会にとって迷惑だと批判的な判断を下す社会はおかしいと思う。何事も誰も完璧ではないということを誰もが思い出すべきだと思う。

私がプロになったら一生懸命努力している友達を助けてあげたい。もし頑張っている友達が失敗してしまって例え社会に迷惑をかけてしまったとしても、私はその友達を批判的な眼で見ないで側にいて見守ってあげたい。

My favorite poem ever! "La Poesía" by Pablo Neruda

Poetry

And it was at that age...Poetry arrived
in search of me. I don't know, I don't know where
it came from, from winter or a river.
I don't know how or when,
no, they were not voices, they were not
words, nor silence,
but from a street I was summoned,
from the branches of night,
abruptly from the others,
among violent fires
or returning alone,
there I was without a face
and it touched me.

I did not know what to say, my mouth
had no way
with names
my eyes were blind,
and something started in my soul,
fever or forgotten wings,
and I made my own way,
deciphering
that fire
and I wrote the first faint line,
faint, without substance, pure
nonsense,
pure wisdom
of someone who knows nothing,
and suddenly I saw
the heavens
unfastened
and open,
planets,
palpitating plantations,
shadow perforated,
riddled
with arrows, fire and flowers,
the winding night, the universe.

And I, infinitesimal being,
drunk with the great starry
void,
likeness, image of
mystery,
I felt myself a pure part
of the abyss,
I wheeled with the stars,
my heart broke free on the open sky.

Japanese Culture, in Vivid Color

My best friend forwarded this link to me below:

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/arts/design/13heav.html?pagewanted=2&ei=5070&en=92c6d48b20349561&ex=1214020800&emc=eta1

I would like to see it. Hope it's coming to SF!

New Products are UP!

Please click the links below:

Now you can purchase Taiko's art product at affordable prices!

Exclusively "sleeping beauty" here

"Courage is....mastery of fear! "

Jeff Koons

I just read a Jeff Koons interview. Now I have high respect for him. For instance, he says:

"...art is about people, life, experience. It’s about giving attention to the viewer so that hopefully they maintain enough confidence to experience communication."

Yeah, I totally agree with it. He also says:

"What's most shocking is honesty. If you’re really honest with yourself, that’s what people really find most shocking."

Yes, I agree!

Also, like him, when I was a teenager, music was a form of art which I came into contact with how powerful art can be. It was a very moving experience for me, too and I thought, “I want part of this.”

Check it out:
http://www.artinfo.com/news/story/27454/jeff-koons/?page=1

Geisai Museum in Tokyo

I did a show at Geisai Museum in Tokyo last week. It was a lot of fun but I was very stressed out because I had to carry a lot of heavy baggage! One day when I can afford, I want to ship them all. There're 608 artists at the show. I was amazed with many talented artists there! It's worth checking it out. I would definitely check it out even if I don't exhibit there. They have two shows a year. I love a show like that an artist creates art for art's sake.

Fav Songs

I've been listening to "Moonchild" by Cibo Matto, "The Paris Match" by The Style Council, and "Superstar" by Lupe Fiasco over and over today. "Moonchild" put me in so relaxed mood especially after 2AM in the morning (or midnight I should say). Also, Cibo Matto's "Sugar Water" is really good if you want to chill out at home.

Many of my fav songs are here.
Yes, my music taste is so eclectic.

Crying Baby

My mom used to tell me I was not a crying baby. But it began after I left my house. I found out that life was not that easy and started crying a lot. Especially surviving alone in Tokyo was very hard. One day I really didn’t have money to buy food. It was very sad. Now somehow I manage to have some money to buy food and store food whenever I can, so it doesn’t happen. But still I cry sometimes without knowing a reason. Or probably I have a reason but I don’t want to admit it.

水平線の向こう

子供の頃、水平線の向こうには何があるのだろうといつも思っていた。泳いでも泳いでもまっすぐの線が続いていて、いったいどこまで続くのだろうと思っていた。きっとあの水平線の向こうには夢で見るような不思議な国があるにちがいないとずっと思っていた。そこにはあった。たくさんあった。まだまだ行ったことのない国には、もっと不思議なことがあるのだろうか。

"L'INFINITO" by Leopardi

Sempre caro mi fu quest'ermo colle
E questa siepe che da tanta parte
De'll ultimo orrizonte il guarde esclude.
Ma sedendo e mirando interminati
Spazi di là da quella, e sovrumani
Silenzi, e profondissima quiete,
Io nel pensier mi fingo, ove per poco
Il cor non si spaura. E come il vento
Odo stormir tra queste piante, io quello
Infinito silenzio a questa voce
Vo comparando; e mi sovvien l'eterno,
E le morte stagioni, e la presente
E viva, e'l suon di lei. Così tra questa
Immensità s'annega il pensier mio:
E'l naufragar m'è dolce in questo mare.

親友

私には運良く親友と呼べる人が周りに３人いる。家族と離れていると友達の存在はとっても大きいと思う。だから友達は本当に大切にしたい。お互いに何でも言えるような関係って女友達には少ないけど、そこまでいけたらすごいよね。ホントのことを正直に言ってくれる親友をこれからも一生大切にしたいと思う。

Negative Space

Lately, I’ve been paying attention to negative space when I am on MUNI or walking near my house. I remember I did a lot of negative space sketches when I was in an art school. In general, I think we pay a lot of attention to dominant objects or beautiful and attractive things or people. But I am attracted to things or people or space around them. I find beauty in negative space all the time.

If you don't know anything about "negative space," please go here.

His Image

When I am alone, he is always on my mind. Even when I shut my eyes and plugged my ears, I thought of him, no matter what. I tried to get him out of my head and forget about him many times but he still wouldn't disappear.

うちの冷蔵庫が恋しい！

両親宅に帰るといつも真っ先に行くところは台所。もしかして皆同じかな？冷蔵庫を開くとなんか幸せな気分になるのです。ああいいな～いつも食べ物が詰まっててほっとする。冷蔵庫に食べ物があるってとっても幸せなことだといつも実感するのです。

"Painting" or "Sculpture"

I used to like to create sculpture a lot. But recently, I do painting and I like painting than sculpture. Painting gives me freedom to create and express my inner self without any rational thoughts. Probably it's a similar feeling to singing for me.

"Direct" or "Indirect"

When someone tells me his or her feelings or thoughts, I rather want to be told directly. Although sometimes it hurts me so bad to know the truth, I will get over it after a few days or weeks. But if people tell me their feelings or thoughts indirectly, it bothers me for a long time. I will think about "if" factors and tend to think what I want to believe. But truth is always there so I want to know the truth in the first place.