SAIKO OTAKE

https://www.saikootake.com/

https://www.instagram.com/saikootake/

Born in 1988. She graduated from BA Graphic Design at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London in 2016.

Her works include solo exhibition “EXUVIA”(2016/Tsuru＋LIM［London,UK］, KIZUKI＋LIM［Singapore］), group exhibition “dix vol.02”(2017/QUIET NOISE art and break［Ikenoue,Tokyo］), group exhibition “OUT (of) DOOR” (2017/THE NORTH FACE STANDARD Futakotamagawa［Tokyo］, THE NORTH FACE STANDARD Kyoto［Kyoto］), solo exhibition “VISUAL SAMPLING” (2018/ALONE［Taichung, Taiwan］) , solo exhibition “KINMEGINME” (2018/gallery ART UNLIMITED［Nogizaka, Tokyo］), group exhibition “CONTEMPORARY CHIC In Fashion Illustration” (2018/Hankyu Umeda Gallery［Osaka］), solo exhibition “SAMPLING#09” (2019/NEW ALTERNATIVE［Kagoshima］, UNION SODA［Fukuoka］, wandern［Miyazaki］, Pulp［Osaka］), group exhibition “L’ATELIER” (the corner［Harajuku, Tokyo］). 

Photo by Masato Kawamura

Title: COSMOS DISCO

Artist: SAIKO OTAKE

Date: May 31, 2019 – Aug 22, 2019

Venue: DIESEL ART GALLERY

WEB: www.diesel.co.jp/art

Address: cocoti B1F, 1-23-16, Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Tel: 03-6427-5955

Hours: 11:30 - 21:00

Holidays: Non-Regular Holiday

Curation: ASHU

ASHU NAKANISHIYA Co., Ltd. (ASHU)

www.ashu.nk.com

Established by Taka Nakanishi and Daisuke Nakanishi, after her career of a writer/editor/coordinator focusing on the culture scene around Asian countries and his career of an editor in a variety of fields including men’s general magazine, literature magazine and art & design book, to promote the cross-pollination of creative scenes in Asia and Japan through exhibition, event, publication and collaborative work with companies. Considering its base Japan as the cultural hub in Asia, ASHU has been actively expanding various projects to connect Asia and the world, as well as Japan and Asia. For DIESEL ART GALLERY and former DIESEL DENIM GALLERY, ASHU has curated the solo exhibitions of PHUNK, SPIKE JONZE, MOGOLLON, CHENMAN, and the group exhibition “MASKS” (co-curation).

-- Please introduce yourself.

I’m Saiko Otake, born in 1988. 

I create mainly paintings and photography works.

-- How did you come up with the concept of “COSMOS DISCO”?

I always look for and collect images that attract my attention in daily life, using a sketchbook and a camera.

It is also a suggestion how much I can discover something interesting to me in the cosmos where an infinite number of interesting things lie hidden. 

I can say “COSMOS DISCO”is a collective of those I have discovered and collected in my daily life.

-- Would you tell us the highlight of the exhibition?

All except 3 drawings are new works for the exhibition.

Black-and-white drawings using photography works and pencils were centered on in previous exhibitions, but I presented colorful paintings on canvas for the first time in the exhibition. It was also a new attempt to create photographic works using multiple images in combination. 

-- What do you think of your first production of color painting works?

Although it was difficult to manage the combination of colors as it could change the world of an artwork, I have got a new expression different from the one with pencils, which gave me a greater range of creation.

-- Would you tell us the reason or intension why you draw females a lot in your works and why you don’t draw irises in their eyes?

During my stay in London, I developed an interest in drawing female bodies through my first experience of a life drawing (croquis) of a fluffy woman and sketching stone statues at museums.

Pictures and pinup collections of actresses found in secondhand bookstores can be good references. I’m attracted to the artificialness or unnatural parts rather than their perfectly beautiful appearance. 

It may lead to my drawings without irises, as a way of expressing the feeling of strangeness.

-- We see your consistent style of expression in a variety of your works including paintings, drawings, photography and collage. Is there anything you are aware of?

I think something like poison or a feeling of strangeness is hidden in things that attract me.

I want to make such points in my works that stimulate someone’s curiosity. That may also lead to my expression not to draw irises. 

-- As special events for the exhibition, you also did a live painting and a talk show for the first time. How was the event? Would you tell us what you thought on talking with ohashiTrio and Kohei Sakaguchi?

In the live drawing, free and bold brushing born in tension made it possible to produce a work which was different from my works that had been carefully drawn. It was a new discovery to me.

I was very nervous about the talk show as well as the live drawing, but it was a valuable experience to convey my own words directly. 

-- How did you spend your childhood in your nature-rich hometown Uwajima? Do you think it has any impact on your current activities?

I remember drawing, watching movies and listening to music with my family, rather than playing around in the nature.

I think what I felt and talked during my time with my family is one of my foods for creation now.

-- What is your source of inspiration?

Curiosity. 

-- Would you tell us any artists, music or movies you have been influenced?

During my stay in London, I was shocked by an artwork by a female artist that I came across at a gallery I visited for research. Moreover, it was also a shock to me that the artist was the same age as myself. 

I often feel jealous of unique color sense of people in foreign countries that is different from Japanese.

Rakugo is my favorite to listen to while working on my creation.

Images I saw in my childhood such as Disney short films, Jan Svankmajer’s Alice and the ballet of Penguin Cafe Orchestra are stuck in my brain. 

-- In your photo works, we see a variety of scenes from countries both domestically and internationally. Which country was the most impressive to you?

Every photo evokes my memories at that time.

When I traveled New York, Boston and Los Angeles in the US, I kept on clicking the shutter as usual. My friends took me around various places and I was looking forward to seeing the photos taken over there, but I had my camera stolen after returning to London. Since I had such an experience, the United States has been a country I would certainly like to visit again someday.

-- How do you spend your day-off?

I read books piled up and left unread.

-- Would you tell us any idea what you want to do in the future, or any coming up projects?

After a challenge to the canvas this time, I now want to try to bigger drawings/paintings. 

I would like to try and study a variety of colors and techniques.

-- Would you give a message for people who will see your works.

I hope you enjoy my works just like you will try to find something interesting to yourself from the pieces of my discoveries.