Less is more - Yu Nagaba is recreating Culture
Through a blend of simplicity, elegance, and nostalgia, Japanese illustrator Yu Nagaba [@kaerusensei] has risen to global fame for his signature drawings of black lines on white backgrounds. Having worked in various occupations that required experimentation with different styles, the illustrator gained an understanding of how his graphics could become the most expressive. A time for personal intervention that made him oppose strengths and weaknesses and finally led to his path today – as an illustrator and artist.
Yu Nagaba in his studio - Image by Shin Inaba
In 2014, Nagaba started to gain attention for his frequent appearances in the iconic POPEYE Magazine. His art style, depicting subtle moments of beauty in black and white, was much aligned with POPEYE's selective eye for what's significant. Significance plays a pivotal role in describing the illustrator's philosophy, as his delicate line drawings feel intuitive, evoking emotions and associations without a need for an explanation — a "sensuous expression, not a theory," as he once reflected in an interview. Yet, these principles are not only perceivable in his illustrative style but also in the references he chooses.
Yu Nagaba for POPEYE Magazine
Influenced by art and 90s US cultural history, Yu Nagaba selects motifs that resonate with a large audience for their impact on contemporary culture. John Lennon and Kurt Kobain, Leonardo Da Vinci and Henri Matisse, Pulp Fiction and Star Wars, Pokémon and Peanuts, the Japanese artist chooses familiarity as the cornerstone of his artistic outlet, expressing feelings of nostalgia and intimateness. When considering the magnitude, depth, and far-reaching impact of his reference pool, it's truly captivating beholding the lightness with which Nagaba encounters it. A style illustrating relevance with less, creating a fusion of Donald Judd's minimalism along with Warhol's cultural integration. A potent recipe that has opened doors for Nagaba to show off his clever eye in exhibitions and collaborations in the following years. Exhibitions like "The Last Supper" and "Express More With Less," as well as his re-imagination of the Pokémon franchise, made his art style an inherent part of contemporary pop art, inside and outside of Japan.
Yu Nagaba in his studio - Image by Shin Inaba
For Nagaba's latest collaborative venture, he joins forces with Avant Arte, a well-curated marketplace making discovering and owning art radically more accessible for a new generation, to release a limited edition silkscreen print inspired by his love for Henri Matisse. Titled "Fishbowl" the artwork will be exclusively available for 24 hours, starting at 09:00am GMT / 18:00 JST on Thursday, March 2nd, 2023. For the launch of this project, sabukaru had the pleasure of sitting down with Nagaba to have a conversation.
“Fishbowl” by Yu Nagaba for Avant Arte
Thank you very much for taking the time to answer our questions. Please introduce yourself to the sabukaru network.
今日はお忙しい中お時間いただきありがとうございます。まず最初にまだナガバさんをご存じでない方に向けて簡単な自己紹介をお願いしてもいいですか？
Hi, I’m Yu Nagaba. I was born in Tokyo and am currently 46 years old. I am married with two boys, ages 5 and 0. When I was 10, I used to live in Istanbul for 2 years but have been living in Tokyo ever since.
長場雄です。東京生まれ現在46歳。結婚していて5歳と0歳の男の子がいます。10歳から2年間イスタンブールに住んでいましたがあとはずっと東京に拠点を置いています。
Screenprinting Process
You have succeeded in creating a highly distinguished visual identity. How would you describe your art style today?
他ならぬスタイルを確立されてると思いますが、自分のスタイルをどういう風に表現しますか？
In a nutshell, my style comes down to how much emotion I can channel in a few fine lines.
少ない線でいかに感情をいかにこめるかが自分のスタイルだと思っています。
Screenprinting Process
You’re celebrated for intuitively depicting historical art pieces and various cultural icons, having referenced and/or remixed both worlds in your works. Can you point out factors that make you want to put your own take on a piece of art, a celebrity, or even an ordinary person?
歴史における出来事やカルチャー的アイコンをリファレンスされる事が多いように見受けられますが、何を持ってこういった出来事やアイコンを自分なりに解釈したくなりますか？ナガバさんのリミックスに相応しいモノ／人にはどういった要素が必要になってきますか？
What I value is my signature line, and I choose motifs for the line to live. I believe that the motif is the key connecting element between the beholder and me.
大切にしているのは自分の線で、線が生きるためにモチーフを選んでいます。モチーフは鑑賞者と私をつなぐものだと思っています。
Screenprinting Process
Over the course of your career, you have had “job titles” from designer and illustrator to artist. What learnings did you take away from each of these “job titles”?
デザイナー／イラストレーター／アーティストとして活動されて、それぞれからどういった学びがありましたか？
I believe that design and illustration can be thought of as a solution while art is a question. Design and illustration work was about listening to the client's needs and guiding the viewer to a single answer. In contrast, I have learned that in art, the viewer is free to interpret what I have created.
デザインやイラストは解決策でアートは問いかけだと思っています。デザインやイラストの仕事はクライアントの要望を聞きながら鑑賞者に１つの答えを誘導するものでした。それに対してアートは私が作り出したものを鑑賞者は自由に解釈することができることを学びました。
Yu Nagaba signing his upcoming release with Avant Arte - Image by Shin Inaba
You’ve had the opportunity to put your personal take on Pokémon. What does this franchise mean to you, and how did you approach the project back then?
ポケモンのキャラクターのリミックスもされてると思いますが、誰もが一度は触れたことがあろう世界のキャラクターと一緒にお仕事ができた事に想わされた事はありますか？特別な意味はありますか？
I was very excited to draw a character that many people know. I first drew Pikachu, but in order to really bring out his cuteness, I had to re-draw my concepts many times before I managed to draw an interpretation that I was satisfied with. After the collaboration was released, the response was so great that I receive messages to this day even from people abroad.
多くの方が知っているキャラクターを描くことにとても興奮しました。最初にピカチューを描いたのですが、ピカチューの可愛らしさを引き出すために何度も描きなおし自分でも納得のいくものに仕上げました。世の中に発表されてからはとても反響が大きく今でも海外の方からも直接メッセージをいただけるようなプロジェクトになりました。
“Pickachu” by Yu Nagaba
If you were a Pokemon, which one would you be?
自分をポケモンに例えるとしたらナガバさんはどのポケモンですか？
Cubone. I had a very sad time when my mother passed away when I was a teenager, so I feel a certain kinship with Cubone.
カラカラ
僕自身10代の時に母親が亡くなりとても悲しい日々を送ったのでカラカラには親近感を感じます。
“Pokémon” illustrations by Yu Nagaba
The Ace Hotel is a recurring reference point in your works. What is the story behind it?
ナガバさんのアートにおいてAce Hotelが幾度か繰り返し描写されている印象が、これには特別な意味はありますか？
For me, there is something special about notepads and ballpoint pens in hotels, not just Ace Hotel. When I was a child, whenever my father went abroad on business trips, he would bring me some notepads and pens from the hotels he stayed at as souvenirs, reminding me of the places he had visited. Through these little gifts, I tried to imagine and picture the landscapes my dad must’ve seen when he looked outside the hotel room window, although I had never personally been there. When I came across the Ace Hotel notepad, I felt the same thing, and I tried to incorporate the image of it into my work.
自分にとってエースホテルに限らずホテルにあるメモ帳やボールペンなどには特別なものを感じます。多分、子供の頃父親が海外に出張に行った際、それらをお土産に持って帰ってくれて父親が行った場所に思いを馳せていたのでしょう。こういったものから僕は行ったことがないけど風景を呼び起こしてくれるものでした。エースホテルのメモ帳に出会った時に同じものを感じそれのイメージを作品の中に取り込むことにしています。
“John Lennon” by Yu Nagaba
Apart from expressing yourself through your drawings, are there any other creative endeavors that you pursue, have pursued, or want to pursue?
ドローイング以外にクリエイティビティをアウトプットすることはありますか？
When I had a solo exhibition in Tokyo at the end of last year, I created a large three-dimensional artwork. It was a new attempt to break away from my typical two-dimensional works.
去年末東京で個展をした時、大きい立体作品を作りました。平面作品から飛び出した新しい試みでした。
“The Last Supper” by Yu Nagaba
What are your dreams, either related to your career or private life?
これから叶えたい夢などございましたら教えてください。
I don't have a specific answer in mind, but there are a couple of things I want to achieve in life. I would like to fulfill them one by one without suppressing those feelings.
具体的に何かと言うのはないのですが、やりたいことは生活している上で色々出ててきます。そのような気持ちを抑えないで一つ一つ叶えていきたいなと思います。
“Be Thankful For What You Got” by Yu Nagaba
Lastly, we would like to ask you if you could share some pieces of advice for emerging artists in our audience.
これからを担う若者、大きな夢を叶えようともがくクリエイティブに一言アドバイスお願いします。
My advice would be to believe in yourself and pursue the path you’ve picked.
自分の信じた道を突き進んでください。
Thank you for your time!
Make sure to head over to AVANT ARTE to check out the release of Yu Nagaba’s upcoming project “Fishbowl.” The artwork will be exclusively available for 24 hours from 09:00am GMT / 18:00 JST on March 2nd, 2023.
