What I'm currently doing to bring a fresh perspective to my own work

—What were your thoughts when you received the offer to hold this exhibition from Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building ?

"I was incredibly happy. Due to the impact of COVID-19, we had to switch our planned exhibition online, so I'm grateful to have the opportunity to have so many people actually see it. Isetan Shinjuku Store, Men's Building customers of all ages will come to see it. I hope they'll look at it however they like. I just want them to feel free to experience it."

—You mentioned that there's something you keep in mind when creating your work. This is a sensibility unique to MACCIU, who is from Kyoto.

"I always have the desire to make people laugh (laughs). Design is something that people enjoy, so all my works are created for people's entertainment. Therefore, I would be happy if people who see or experience my work can laugh even a little. By the way, the theme of this exhibition is 'CHOICE,' but the underlying theme was originally the keyword 'TOUCH.' In all of my works, the characters are 'touching' each other in some way. Due to the effects of COVID-19, it has become difficult to have physical contact with people, but I thought that if you touch something in a painting, no one will blame you, so I created works in which the characters touch each other a lot. I also put in the message that 'physical contact is good, isn't it?'"


—Another characteristic of MACCIU's work is that it doesn't make viewers feel like they're being "judged."

"I try my best to avoid making assumptions in the works I create. I want to create works that are as far removed as possible from judgments such as the artist's intentions or ego, gender, or current events. For example, when I look at a painting myself, if I can even slightly sense that it was painted by a woman or a man, I tend to lose interest. I want to offer works that transcend such judgments, so I try to create things that are as filterless as possible. If you don't make definitive assumptions, infinite possibilities will emerge. I hope that with this exhibition, you can just enjoy it without thinking about anything, to the point where your mind stops working."

—As seen in the Nike collaboration sneakers that you designed and released in June, many of MACCIU's works feature round, cute motifs. It seems that this is something that she herself has a vague idea of.

"I feel uneasy when there are too many sharp edges. I think that the process of removing those edges is what it means to live. People often say, 'He's become rounder after losing his edge,' right? I think that ultimately, becoming closer to a sphere is the easiest way for humans to live. Because there's so much information and so many voices in our daily lives, and there are voices within ourselves too. I want to create works of art by stripping away all of that, and I want to continue creating works that make people think, 'I want to become a person like this work.' It's like the artwork is always half a step ahead of me. I probably still have sharp edges, so I have a desire to get closer to the artwork, to become rounder myself."



—At the same time, I want to become more rounded, but as an artist , I also want to go against that style and create something new . With these complex feelings in mind, I am currently taking on a challenge.

"I've recently started exercising. I didn't used to like using my muscles much, but during the COVID-19 lockdown I bought a spin bike for my health, and I've been exercising at home ever since. I think that if my body shape and muscle development change, it might affect my artwork. The habits I have with the muscles I use every day, and my self-affirmation of the shape of my body that I see all the time, are probably unconsciously projected into my work. I feel like I've become a little stiff, so I'm experimenting to loosen up. Maybe the current plump forms will suddenly change into delicate lines one day, so I'm going to keep at it for a while (laughs)."