–Interpreting at the Baltimore Japan Arts Festival
Last month, I had the opportunity to interpret for the Baltimore Japan Art Festival (BJAF). This annual event celebrates contemporary Japanese art, and I was lucky enough to support it this year and last year. I have lots of respect for the Nippon Motion team, who put on a multi-day festival just on a volunteer basis, in between their busy full-time jobs!
BJAF 2019: Utomaru
This year, the featured artist was Utomaru, an illustrator who uses very cool, vivid colors. I interpreted for a discussion between her and Alex Fine, a Baltimore-based illustrator, mainly targeted for students at the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA). They discussed everything from Utomaru’s unique palette (“why not draw someone with a blue skin color?” she asks), to the struggle between commercial work and personal work, aspects of Japanese and American culture in her work, her love for the cute and gory, and the importance of finding your own community of artists.
BJAF 2018: Mr. Yusuke Nakamura
And at BJAF 2018, which was held in September last year, the featured artist was the illustrator Mr. Yusuke Nakamura. He gave a full lecture on his development as an artist, as well as the image that certain colors evoke (his great example was the Power Rangers: the heroes are always red, and the yellow one and blue one just don’t seem as strong). He also spoke about Bikkuriman stickers, which I hadn’t thought about in three decades (haha!). I really love his style. He said he was influenced by Mucha and that’s really apparent! In studying for this interpretation, I also came across his Twitter account, in which he often gives virtual lessons on drawing. His philosophy is to make art accessible–something that I really empathized with. And he is incredibly hardworking: backstage, even as we were waiting for the stage set up and discussing what his lecture is about, he was on his laptop refining the colors and outlines of his most current work.
Both were very inspiring, especially in their discussion of colors and encouragement of budding artists. It was truly an honor to meet these artists. Many thanks to Nippon Motion for the opportunity!
