I began collecting artwork as a way to help young artists to promote their work as well as to increase awareness of contemporary art among the younger generation.
Unfortunately, the general interest in art among the Japanese is very low compared to that of Western countries. I would love to be able to correct that by bringing many more pieces of interesting artwork to Japan.
There is a small world of people who are very interested in contemporary art and a slightly bigger world of people who look at contemporary art. But then there is a much larger world that doesn't realise how influential art is on things that they actually look at.
In the place where I was a child, there were no artists and there was no art, so I really didn't know what that meant.
I don't think my paintings are self-conscious but you feel the consciousness of them. Without them being self-conscious.
There is a huge thirst for knowledge among the younger generation for contemporary art, but most of them learn about it by going on the Internet.
I regularly find myself waking up to art I passed by or simply ignored.
I've always argued, unsuccessfully, that there's no point in giving money to the arts unless you educate people in them.
As artists, it's really important to take time to see what other art is happening and to know what's happening in the world.
