私は作品をつくることで人と自然との関係を理解したいと思っています。今はとりわけ人が影響を与えた自然の姿や形に興味をもっています。

金魚は突然変異した魚を人が飼育することで、姿を多様に変化させた生きものです。日本へは16世紀初頭に中国から渡来し、それ以後500年に渡って日本人の美意識に適う金魚がつくられてきました。2つ生えた尾ひれを長く広げて優雅に見せたもの、背びれがないもの、腹がまんまるに大きく張り出したもの、目玉が背中側にあるものなど、姿はさまざまで、その品種は世界中で数百種に上ります。

私が金魚の姿を日々眺めているうちにたどり着いたのは、金魚はファンタジーである、という視点です。魚としてのリアリティを求められていない彼らは、泳ぐには不便な姿であり、変異を繰り返すため丈夫な個体はほんの僅かしか生まれません。

人は金魚の姿を通じて身近な空間を拡張しているのではないか。それは古くから日本人が持っていた、姿や形を他のものになぞらえ、多様なものの見方や捉え方を生み出す「見立て」という視点に通じるものでしょう。今作品では「見立て」の手法を取り入れ、金魚を日常の景色と組み合わせて表現しました。私にとってそれは人と自然との関わりをみつめる手段でもあります。

  -タイトルについて

「きんとと」は金魚の愛称です。親しみのある呼び名は、生き物と人間とのあいだに密接な関係があることを示しています。

-Series: Kintoto

-Year: 2016

-Medium: Archival Pigment Print

-Paper: CANSON Rag Photographique

-Paper size: 48.3 × 32.9 cm / A3+

-Edition: 8

-Camera: FUJIFILM X-T1,T2, XF Lenses, ZEISS Touit

Through my artworks, I want to know how people maintain their relationship with nature. I’m especially interested in the form and figure of nature on which humans have an effect.

Goldfish are known as a mutated fish and have been loved by people. People have bred and made them change into various kinds of goldfish. They were introduced from China at the beginning of 16th century and since then Japanese people have changed them into the beautiful forms to satisfy our sense of beauty. We can enjoy seeing a wide variety of forms of goldfish. There are more than 100 kinds. Some have two tails to show their elegance, some have no back fin, and some have their eyes on the backside. We even see round shaped goldfish whose bellies are greatly protruded.  

Even though the shapes of goldfish are different, they have something in common. That is, the goldfish is a fantasy of people. It means we just enjoy seeing goldfish and don’t demand them to function as a fish. Thus their figures have been made inconvenient for swimming. As they have undergone repeated mutations, only a few can survive. 

Goldfish have been developed from the Japanese sense of beauty. I'm using the technique of expression called ‘Mitate’. By this we can believe one thing has various possibilities and enjoy the world of imagination. In Japanese gardens, for instance, although no actual water is present, the sand and stones are able to evoke vast expanses of ocean and beautiful flowing streams.

Likening aspects and forms in nature to another can expand the possibilities for the usage of resources in limited space. As we live in a small island country, the ‘Mitate’ technique has developed. Goldfish live in water, a limited environment. I made my artworks by putting goldfish with various things in nature which surround me. This is my challenge, to discover how people will be involved with nature in the future.

 -About the title ‘Kintoto’

  ‘Kintoto’ is a nickname for goldfish. The nickname indicates that there is a close relationship between the creatures and human beings.

- Size - Main size is A3+. Goldfish are about 30cm at largest. They are usually tiny as a palm. We are taking advantage of their small size and have been cherishing their appearance in a very familiar place of life. In the same way with them, my works are small, and I want viewers to enjoy my works closely.

- Edition - The edition is eight prints per one image. It derives from the Chinese philosophy after the goldfish. It is said '8' in China sounds like a good luck and prosperity.