ISETAN MEN'S net has launched a new series called "ART UP by International Creators." This series focuses on "fashion" and "art," two fields that have long been closely related, and will curate and introduce a variety of artists.

The eighth installment features artist/designer Takuya Kamioka, who provides designs for fashion brands such as "Blackeyepatch," "Sasquatchfabrix.," and "John's by JOHNNY," and also designs store interiors and product packaging. He has strong ties to music, and has worked on artwork for a wide range of artists, from new-generation hip-hop artists such as KOHH, BAD HOP, YENTOWN, and KANDYTOWN, to Wednesday Campanella.

Event Information

Takuya Kamioka Live Painting

□September 15th (Sat) 11:00-16:30

□Main building, 6th floor = Event hall / back wall of the stage

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Takuya Kamioka

Born in Tokyo in 1985. Graduated from Kuwasawa Design Institute. Began working as a freelancer immediately after graduation. Has provided illustrations for various media, including packaging for Doutor Coffee and Aohata Jam, CD jackets for artists such as Wednesday Campanella and KOHH, interiors for Ginza Mitsukoshi and restaurants, and magazines.

I've been arrogant ever since my cram school days. The "confidence" that creators need.

"I still remember how the adults around me praised my drawings, even back when I was in kindergarten. As I grew older, I played soccer and video games like everyone else, but I never really got into them. I got into graffiti in upper elementary school, and since then I've been practicing to be able to draw that kind of art."

From a young age , Kamioka realized that there was nothing he could do to surpass others except drawing. His current artistic sensibility, which could be considered the foundation of his work, seems to have been cultivated since elementary school. This remarkably precocious boy, influenced by a childhood friend, began attending an art preparatory school in middle school. His experiences there would, in a sense, determine the course of his future career.

"I won an award for charcoal drawing about a month after joining the cram school, and I've been a bit conceited ever since (laughs). I think that for a creator, it's not exactly arrogance, but you have to have confidence in your own work. You could say that I've worked hard to keep that confidence up until now."

After that, while still a student at Kuwasawa Design Institute, I started designing flyers for events for friends and others, which gradually led to more work opportunities.

"I started a design studio with a friend who runs a brand called 'BlackEyePatch,' and we've been learning by taking on various illustration and design projects from friends and acquaintances. From there, it's been a chain reaction leading to the next job. I still work with them occasionally."

Furthermore, Kamioka works on a wide range of projects, from watercolors and oil paintings to charcoal drawings and CG graphics. He spoke about acquiring these skills as follows:

"I learned a lot on my own rather than at school. I studied together with friends when we were running a design office. I basically like all of it, and I think there are commonalities in the fundamentals."

As mentioned earlier, he has worked on numerous projects for musicians, primarily in the hip-hop scene, but these projects are mostly the result of natural encounters through mutual acquaintances. It is precisely because he becomes friends with these artists through mutual connections and treats them like friends or juniors that he is able to create high-quality works through close communication.

"I often get approached by young musicians who tell me things like, 'I want to create a piece like this,' and that's really rewarding. I think that's partly why I keep honing my skills—to be able to meet their expectations."

Kamioka employs a variety of techniques and works across diverse media. He calmly analyzes the source of his own ideas as follows:

"It's not like ideas just come to me naturally in an artistic way; in my case, it might be a more rational way of thinking. For example, when I see a painting, I might start by thinking, 'How do they achieve this style?' Or, 'What would happen if I used this technique to paint this kind of picture?' In a way, it's similar to design."

His unwavering stance, though laid-back, was evident in every aspect of our conversation, so I asked him about his future plans.

"I'd like to do more overseas. It might sound arrogant, but I feel that the level of art is higher in Europe and America. I'd like to be able to compete in that kind of environment. As a musician, I'd like to work on the works of overseas artists. Takashi Murakami and Kanye West have worked on their works, right? It's amazing that a Japanese person is working on the works of top artists in the world."

NEXT> Towards the live painting at 'SOUL CAMP 2018 at ISETAN'