Interview: Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹 - ITSLIQUID International Contest - 11th Edition
Interview: Masaki Hirokawa
Luca Curci talks with Masaki Hirokawa, honorable mention of Itsliquid International Contest – 11th edition.

ITSLIQUID Group has published an interview with me on the occasion of my receiving an Honorable Mention in the ITSLIQUID International Contest - 11th Edition. I went into this interview with all my heart and soul, expressing my gratitude for this very honorable opportunity.

国際アートコンペティション 第11回 ITSLIQUID International Contest 栄誉賞受賞のインタビュー記事ITSLIQUID Groupさんに掲載いただきました。とても光栄な機会をいただき、本当に有り難く思います。感謝の気持ちを込めて全身全霊でインタビューに臨みました。
Quiet / 静粛 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Quiet / 静粛 by Masaki Hirokawa

インタビュー内容(和訳): 

- あなたにとってアートとは何ですか?
私にとってアートはご神事です。神は完全な存在であるため、生命の肉体を通してしか五感を得られず、人間の喜怒哀楽も体験できません。神はあらゆる生命に内在し、全ての存在は神から分かたれた一つのものです。
アートを通して高次元と繋がることや高次元に干渉することが目的ではなく、高次元な存在と同調し、受け取ったメッセージを純粋に伝えて行くことがアートの役割であると考えています。
そのメッセージがこの世界の平和と安寧の指標となれば幸いです。

- 現在取り組んでいることは何ですか?
現在は新しいアート作品の構想に取り組み始めました。
スマートフォンアプリ事業の方でも、開発やマーケティングの面で沢山の新しい様式を採用し、システム構築やデータ分析から得られたノウハウを、アート作品の構造化や作業効率化の面に次々と取り入れています。

- あなたの経歴は? あなたの作品に最も影響を与えた経験は何ですか?
私は十代の頃よりウェブデザイン、DTPデザイン、基幹システムの開発、インタラクティブムービー制作、ゲーム制作、アプリ開発に携わって来ました。
グラフィック制作の時間はごく僅かしか得られませんでした。
分野の異なるあらゆる作業を並行して行うことが殆どで、ハードな業務からマルチタスキング能力を養うことで、発揮可能な力が二乗され、それぞれに相乗効果がありました。
私の作品に最も影響を与えたのは、それら様々な経験を通して出会った人々の言葉や、師となる姿勢、そして自らの肉体と感覚に繰り返し刻み込んだ、無数の単純な作業です。
限界を超えた先で、これまで出会った全ての方々が、心の中で何度も背中を押してくれました。

- 社会の中でアーティストが果たす役割は何でしょうか? また、現代アートについてどう思われますか?
現在の社会の中では、この混沌とした世界情勢をよく観測し、歴史に記録するのがアートの役割であると思っています。
人類が何度も同じ過ちを繰り返さないように、後世に痕跡を残すのがアートに出来得ることです。
そして今も大きな過ちの中で苦しむ人々の心を癒やし、生きる希望を与える力がアートにはあると信じています。
また、科学と神秘学と哲学の距離が大きく縮まった近代に於いて、現代アートは世界中に張り巡らされたネットワークインフラを介して、大衆心理と共に、より高みへ向かっているプロセスにあると思います。

- インスピレーションはどこで得られますか?
心を無にしてぼーっと過ごしている時や、街中を歩いている時、そして神社仏閣を訪れた時に、新しい作品のインスピレーションを得られることが多いです。

- 作品制作で最も困難なことは何ですか?
精神と肉体の調和が高く保たれている時に、何となく手を動かすと作品が出来るのですが、心がその座に居ない時はどうしても作品を制作できず、技術的な鍛錬のみに留めることが多いです。
大胆かつ派手な手法を拒む性質のため、調色や調光で微差を幾つも積み重ねながら、作品に奥行きを持たせる作業にいつも苦労しています。
Astaroth / 静寂に凍る光 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Astaroth / 静寂に凍る光 by Masaki Hirokawa

Masaki Hirokawa is one of the honourable mentions of the 11th Itsliquid International Contest. Masaki Hirokawa’s wide range of activities includes graphic design, smartphone app development, interactive movie production, and website development. They also write technical articles on graphic design for graphic design magazines and reference books. Born in Toyama, Japan in 1981. Started web design and programming self-study in 1997 at the age of 16. Went to Tokyo to work as a web designer/DTP operator in 1999. Got involved in the development of mission-critical systems as a system engineer/programmer in 2002 at the age of 21. Switched to working as a freelancer, working on web design, programming, graphic design, and producing interactive movies in 2005. Won the Grand Prize for the MTV SO-ZO Competition “Web Screensaver Category” in 2006. Authored multiple reference books while submitting works to graphic design magazines in 2008. Got involved in the development of multiple video games as a technical artist in 2011. Went independent to start a smartphone app business in 2013. Developed an app that was eventually downloaded more than 20 million times and is still being used by more than 3 million users worldwide. Returned to creating graphic design, and participating in exhibitions in Italy, Spain, the UK, Greece, and more in 2019. Was awarded the “ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2021” by ITSLIQUID Group in 2022. Continue to create graphic design while managing smartphone apps.
Avalokiteshvara / 権化 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Avalokiteshvara / 権化 by Masaki Hirokawa

Luca Curci – What is art for you?
Masaki Hirokawa – For me, art is a form of tribute to the divine. As the divine is a perfect being, we only have access to the five senses of our physical body and the experiences of our various human emotions. I believe that the divine is innate to all forms of life, but all beings are also collectively distinct from the divine. The purpose of art is not to bring us to or interfere with this higher dimension, but rather to attune ourselves to the higher dimension and convey any messages that we receive in an honest way. I hope that these messages can herald peace and well-being in the world.
Baphomet / 偶像 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Baphomet / 偶像 by Masaki Hirokawa

LC – What are you currently working on?
MH – I am currently working on the concept of a new work of art. In the area of mobile apps, I have been adopting a variety of new styles of development and marketing while harnessing the knowledge that I have gained from system construction and data analysis to gradually enhance the structural aspects and work efficiency of my works of art.
Burial at Sea / 水葬 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Burial at Sea / 水葬 by Masaki Hirokawa

LC – Where do you find your inspiration?
MH – I often find inspiration for my new works when I am in a daze and not focused on anything in particular, as well as when I am walking around town or visiting shrines and temples.
Distance / 心 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Distance / 心 by Masaki Hirokawa

LC – What’s your background? What is the experience that has influenced your work the most?
MH – Since I was in my teens, I have been involved in web design, DTP design, core system development, interactive movie production, game production, and app development. I actually had very little time for graphic design. I mostly spent my time working simultaneously on various tasks across different fields, and by developing an ability to multi-task from this challenging work, I was able to amplify my different capabilities and create a synergistic effect between them. Among the greatest influences on my work have been the words of people I encountered through these various experiences, the wisdom I have inherited from them, as well as the countless simple tasks that I have repeatedly undertaken with my own body and senses. Everyone I have met until now has given me tremendous emotional support and played a part in pushing me beyond my limits.
Grounding by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹

Grounding by Masaki Hirokawa

LC – Which is the role the artist plays in society? And contemporary art?
MH – I believe that the role of art in today’s society is to serve as a keen observer of the chaotic world around us and capture it as part of our history. This is what art can do to preserve a record for future generations so that mankind does not repeat the same mistakes over and over again. I also believe that art has the power to heal the mind of those who are still tortured by grave mistakes that they have made in the past and offer them hope that allows them to move on with their lives. As the gap between science, mysticism, and philosophy has narrowed greatly in the modern age, I believe that contemporary art is in the process of achieving greater heights alongside mass psychology through the infrastructure network that has extended throughout the world.
A Regenerated World / 新世界 by Masaki Hirokawa / 廣川政樹
LC – What is the most challenging part about creating your artworks?
MH – I can somehow create a work of art with my hands whenever my mind and body are fully harmonized, but when my mind is not where it needs to be, I cannot create any art no matter how hard I try. In such times, I often limit myself to honing my technical skills. As it is in my nature to shy away from bold and flamboyant techniques, it takes a lot of effort for me to add depth to my works through the accrual of many subtle variations in color and tone.

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