Interview by Jimon

1-Where do you call home currently?  I AM CURRENTLY SPLITTING MY TIME BETWEEN NEW YORK CITY AND UPSTATE NEW YORK/HUDSON VALLEY.

2-Did you study art or is it all inherent?  I AM SELF-TAUGHT.  I HAVE NEVER ATTENDED AN ART SCHOOL OR CLASS.  I BEGAN PAINTING ABOUT 7 YEARS AGO AND HAVE PROGRESSED AND ADVANCED THROUGH TRIAL AND ERROR AND EXPERIMENTATION.

3-What do you dream about?  MOST OF MY DREAMS ARE ABOUT TRAVEL, COLORS AND COOKING.

4-What else interests you besides art?  I WAS A LAWYER FOR OVER TWO DECADES AND THEN BECAME A PROFESSIONAL CHEF AND RESTAURATEUR.  THE PANDEMIC HAS SIDELINED THAT PROFESSION FOR THE TIME BEING AND THANKFULLY, I CALL MYSELF A FULL-TIME ARTIST NOW.

6-Who is your favorite artist?  I AM A FAN OF WILLEM DE KOONIG, MARK ROTHKO, ROBERT RAUCHENBERG AND JOAN MITCHELL TO NAME JUST A FEW.

7-What advice would you give putative collectors?  SEEK OUT THE LIVING ARTISTS WHO ARE DOING THINGS THAT ARE BOLD AND BEAUTIFUL.

8-What is the origin of each of your paintings (imagination, inspiration….)?  I DRAW SIGNIFICANT INSPIRATION FROM MY TRAVELS, PARTICULARLY TO JAPAN AND THE COLORS THAT ARE REFLECTED IN THE CULTURE.  I AM AN AVID FOLLOWER AND STUDENT OF THE COLOR COMBINATIONS AND SCHEMES IDENTIFIED BY SANZO WADA AND TRY TO INCORPORATE SOME ASPECT OF THOSE INSPIRATIONS INTO EACH OF MY WORKS.

9-Do you listen to music while creating? If yes, what genre?  MUSIC PLAYS A VERY SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MY PAINTING.  IN FACT, MOST OF MY PAINTINGS ARE NAMED AFTER SONGS, LYRICS AND BANDS AND THEY REFLECT THE EMOTION THAT I AM FEELING FROM THE MUSIC.  OF LATE, MOST OF THE MUSIC I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO HAS BEEN THAT OF TOOL, CHAMELEONS UK, THE CURE AND OTHER GOTHIC AND METAL BANDS.

10-Do you have any other source of income besides art?  CURRENTLY, I DO NOT HAVE A SIGNIFICANT SOURCE OF INCOME OUTSIDE OF MY ART SALES. IT IS A DAUNTING SITUATION AT TIMES, BUT WHEN A COLLECTOR BUYS A WORK THERE IS NO GREATER FEELING OF SATISFACTION.

11-Do you have a place/person/thing that you visit for inspiration?  I HAVE A GREAT ARTIST FRIEND NAMED PAUL HUNTER, WHO IS BASED IN NEW YORK CITY.  EVERY TIME I MEET HIM FOR DINNER OR DRINKING SAKE, I COME AWAY WITH AN ACCELERATED MOTIVATION TO CREATE AND PAINT.

12-If you could have dinner with three artists living/dead who would be at your table?  THE INTENSITY, QUIRKY VIBE AND PARTY EXPERTISE OF JACKSON POLLOCK, ANDY WARHOL AND VAN GOGH WOULD BE HARD TO BEAT.

13-Name three things you can’t live without in your studio? 

MUSIC

INSPIRATIONAL BOOKS SUCH AS SANZO WADA’S ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COLOR AND BOOKS SUCH AS THE WALLPAPERS OF FRANCE 1800-1850, ETC.

A WEEKEND ADULT BEVERAGE PREFERABLY JAPANESE BARLEY SHOCHU ON THE ROCKS.

14-If you were asking the questions what question would you ask and please answer the question. HOW DID YOU REALIZE A HOBBY WAS AN OBSESSION? WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CREATING AND PAINTING EVERY DAY AND ENGAGE IN SOME FORM OF CREATION OR PAINTING EVERY DAY, YOU CAN BE SURE THAT IT IS NO LONGER A HOBBY BUT IN FACT AN OBSESSION AND A PASSION.  ENJOYING IT AT THE SAME TIME MEANS THAT IT WAS MEANT FOR YOU TO ENJOY AND PURSUE.

15-How would someone find you on Social media?  INSTAGRAM: @sparrow_suzume_art

16-If you could live in a museum anywhere in the world which would it be?  I HAVE SPENT ALOT OF TIME IN MILAN, ITALY AND ALSO THINK THAT LISBON, PORTUGAL IS ONE OF THE GREAT CITIES OF THE WORLD.  ANY MUSEUM IN EITHER CITY WOULD BE MY IDEAL BECAUSE OF THE ART, INSPIRATION, FOOD AND DRINK THAT EACH OFFERS.

17- Please name the first thing that comes to your mind while reading the following:

Art= JOY

Food= AN EXTENSION OF ART

Sports= LIVERPOOL FC

Politics= NEVER AT A TABLE OR WHEN DRINKING

Poor= THE FIRST TIME YOU DO ANYTHING…

God= WATCHING

Rich= DON’T REALLY NEED TO BE

Luxury= TIME

Sex= OVEREXPOSED

Picasso= MINDBENDING

Religion= SEE POLITICS ABOVE