Kano watanabe
@kano.watanabe @art.kano
Tell us more about yourself and how you express yourself through art.
I was born and raised in Tokyo Japan til about the age of 9, then moved to Maui with my immediate family, where I cultivated a deep value for nature at a young age. I moved to Massachusetts for high school, and had the opportunity to spend some time in New York City as well. I fell in love with the study of architecture & urban design, and had the privilege of learning about the intersectionality between art, design, culture, race, socioeconomics, and environmentalism. I enjoy expressing myself through drawing, painting, music, photography, and sometimes dance (but only when no one is watching).
What inspires your work?
My first series of large paintings was titled “art as a meditation,” because to me, painting was meditation, therapy for the chaos of my adolescent mind, and a transcendental experience that took me out of this physical reality and into a place where time and dimensionality don’t exist. I was always that one kid in art class that couldn’t follow the regular curriculum. I hated the charcoal still life drawing classes, and I didn’t understand why we had to copy the styles of old artists. Art, to me, always stemmed from an intense craving to express my imagination, spirituality, and internal thoughts. I’m inspired by my personal experiences and lessons learned, but most importantly the concept of aloha ‘āina; connection with, taking care of, and giving back to our beloved Earth that sustains us.
How do you advocate for change through your art?
I think having grown up with a multicultural perspective of the world, in a family of musical and visual artists, and surrounded by both urban and natural settings, my art naturally expresses a theme of harmony and wholeness. Much of my artwork is an illustration of my belief that humans can be in sync with the natural world.
What are your personal goals as an artist and how does your art reflect our overall issue theme of Coexistence?
My personal goal, for as long as I can remember, has been to find a way to restore harmony between humans and the Earth. Illustrating the unity between humanity and the natural world gives me hope for this dream. By incorporating organic forms with architectural shapes, and blending human figures in with their environment, I feel like I am able to at least visually create balance and peace between two seemingly opposing things. I use recycled plywood as canvas as much as possible, and work with lots of mixed materials (old magazines, yarn, trash) that I randomly find. In this time and society, I am extremely grateful that I have found an outlet that suffices both my desire to create, and my passion to help ignite inspiration & understanding concerning our current world issues.
Do you think art has the power to evoke change?
I honestly believe that art is the purest form of truth. It’s the expression of the soul!! Can you imagine what the world would look like if art was the primary form of communication? We’d all be much more connected, more open-minded, and accepting of difference. Obviously, the way people understand a piece of artwork is extremely subjective, but the point is that it makes someone stop and think—something we don’t do much of in a fast-pace society. If art can make you wonder, and wondering makes you curious, and being curious makes you humble, and being humbled makes you open your mind to a new perspective…you see where I’m going with this? :)
