Keisuke Tanida speaks to us in a "new language" [Unique Communication #15]
"Isai Tsuushin" is a column introducing artists brought to you by Marie ( @Marie_heralbony ), the Isai Evangelist. In addition to the appeal of the works produced by the artists, it is delivered in a chatty style, including wonderful stories born from the interactions between Heralbony and the artists. For all of you who "love the unusual." We will support your tomorrow with content that will help you relax and give you energy.
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This work has a mysterious magnetic pull that makes our bodies seem to start moving as we gaze at it. It was created by Kayano Tanida, an artist based in Chiang Mai.
The title of the work is "How are you guys?" It has been developed into a dress and a card case, so many people may recognize it or already own it.
Currently, the online store offers several of Keisuke's original drawings and products, including "How are you guys?"
In particular, the first production run of the dresses sold out immediately. We are currently accepting pre-orders for additional production runs. Additionally, the card cases that were released the other day have also been sold to many people.>Go to Kayano Tanida item list
How exactly are Keisuke's works that have captivated so many people created? We will introduce you to Keisuke's creative process and the secrets behind his work.
The brush rides on the sound
Keiya's wake-up time is 7am. Even if her alarm doesn't ring, she wakes up at this time and drinks plain white yogurt and a glass of strawberry milk. This is her routine, and then she starts creating.
This is a piece titled "I like music. I like dancing." Music is an essential element in Keisuke's creative work.
As the title suggests, the colors seem to dance to the music, with a perfect balance of dynamism and gentleness.
The soft brush strokes are achieved by using acrylic paints with a lot of water. It's a technique that Keisuke learned himself while creating his works, rather than being taught by someone else.
The photo on the left shows a piece that was painted while listening to the music of American singer Beyoncé. Keisuke's paintings are full of vibrant colors and touches, as if resonating with her powerful performance.
On the other hand, the photo on the right was taken on a day when he was working while listening to a gentle piece of music. The painting on the canvas has soft, gentle colors and a gentle touch. Keisuke's facial expression also has a gentle atmosphere.
By the way, the music that Keisuke listens to covers a wide range of genres, from the Western music that his mother likes to Fujii Kaze, who Keisuke loves. (By the way, he used to be a big fan of Ohno from the male group "Arashi"!)
When an image comes to mind, Keiyayuki says, "This is it!" and moves on with his brush, but when he's not completely satisfied, he often just paints over the canvas with gusto.
After filling it in, he will start drawing another picture.
This is how the work "Courage" was born.
He was not satisfied with the piece he had been working on for about a month, so he covered it with greige paint. Suddenly, inspiration struck him, and the vivid yellow paint began to dance, completing the piece in just five minutes.
Even if you've spent a long time creating something, if you're not satisfied with it, it gives you the courage to trust your heart and reset.Even though there are only two visible colors, the feeling of depth is probably due to the stories like these that are packed into it.
His mother told us that when Keisuke is in the flow of his brush, he can sense a strong presence in his drawing form and in his work. In particular, when he was drawing "How are you guys?", she felt an extraordinary presence that said, "Something is different from usual. This is going to be an amazing piece."
Compared to his other works, the finished painting has a sense of depth, with many layers of vibrant colors. You can really feel the strong feelings that Keisuke put into this piece.
"How are you guys?" is a very special piece for his mother. At first, she wanted to keep it, but then she decided to entrust it to us, saying, "I'm happy to leave it to HERALBONY." The original artwork was soon found by someone who treasured it, and has since been used in a variety of products, and is still loved by many people today.
>Original artwork for "New Year's Eve in Chaing Mai." "New Year's Eve in Chaing Mai.", which is used on handkerchiefs and card cases, is another piece that features unusual colors.
Keiyayuki, who loves pink and light blue, often incorporates these colors into his work, and in this piece the contrast between the soft pink and light blue on the vibrant red base really stands out. The piece was created using an unusual technique, in which two colors of paint are simultaneously applied to the brush and painted in a pointillist style.
As the title suggests, this work was painted on New Year's Eve in Chiang Mai. The red and white colors are reminiscent of New Year's in Japan, and convey the excitement of people looking forward to the dawn of a new year.
Everything you see has a unique world
Keisuke's works are inspired by music, but some of them are actually based on objects.
For example, there is a piece titled "Wheat," which is not the name of the plant wheat, but of the golden retriever I had when I lived in Japan.
Yellow, purple, green, and a touch of light blue. It's easy to imagine what kind of inspiration she got from the photo of Mugi-chan that her mother showed us.
And here is "Tropical Bird Feathers," which is based on the vivid colors of birds that live in tropical regions.
These works make me feel that there is a world that only Keiyayuki can depict.
No one knows when talent will blossom.
Keiyayuki continues to paint his own unique world, but he actually only began his current creative activities around 2021.
When he was living in Japan, he attended an art class for children with disabilities run by a friend of his mother, but he was not very good at drawing. He also did not improve as much as he had hoped in a dance class for children with Down's syndrome, and his mother, seeing this, thought, "This child has no talents."
However, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit Chiang Mai, Keisuke was forced to stay indoors and stay isolated, so he started looking for something to do at home and began painting. As he silently immersed himself in painting, his current style was born.
"If my acquaintances from when he was in Japan found out that Keisuke had become a contracted artist for HERALBONY and that many products were being developed, they would surely be surprised," says Keisuke's mother. "You never know when your talent will blossom, so it's best not to give up on anything," she adds.
How to create a unique title
The change in Keiya's life is not just that he has started painting. In fact, he says that after moving to the country, he stopped speaking very much. Perhaps his artwork has now become a form of self-expression that replaces words.
Keiya's mother came up with the titles for the works on his behalf, as he hardly speaks.
Some titles, such as "Courage," are based on the story behind the production process, while others are named to capture the thoughts that Keisuke puts into the work.
For example, in one piece titled "Sea and Space," he painted over a piece he wasn't satisfied with with navy blue paint. The combination of white, blue, and gold, applied forcefully to the canvas, resembles the raging waves of the ocean, and Keisuke felt something like anger in the powerful force of the painting, which is what inspired him to come up with the title.
> "Be careful beyond that" original artwork
The piece "Be Careful Further Ahead" reflects the artist's life in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai has many rivers, and there is a canal near a restaurant the family often visits. When they go there, their dog sometimes runs off, and the word came to mind after seeing this. The exquisite shades of brown in this piece, which resembles the soil and rivers of Chiang Mai, are one of the artist's favorite features.
Another wonderful episode from the title.
The title of this sparkling red fruit-like piece that looks ready to burst is "My First Love Became a Professional Wrestler."
Apparently, this title is based on a true story! When Keisuke was in the fifth grade of elementary school, his first love was a boy named "Kacchan." He became close to his older sister, who also had Down Syndrome, just like Keisuke. There's also a heart-warming story about how one night, before going to sleep, Keisuke suddenly blurted out, "Kacchan, are you asleep yet?" His first love is now a professional wrestler.
His mother felt that this work reminded her of the excitement and sparkle of those days, so she titled it Keiya's first love.
Not only the title, but also the production process shows scenes of collaboration with his mother. Keisuke chooses the colors and does the actual painting himself, but when he picks up the paints he spills everything, so his mother is in charge of getting the paints out.
Although Keiyayuki does not like to talk, he understands what the people around him say, and he seems to be able to communicate with his mother, who is always by his side, in a tacit understanding.
His mother said that at first she felt lonely when Keisuke stopped speaking. However, she said that she didn't want him to do anything he didn't like, and now she thinks that not talking is just like Keisuke.
His mother is not bound by the fixed idea that "being able to talk is a good thing" or "you should be able to speak in a way that suits those around you," but rather takes a positive view of Keiya's individuality, saying, "There are times when it's more convenient not to talk."
Under the watchful eye of his mother, Keiyayuki is following his own path, expressing himself through art and connecting with others through his work.
Art has the power to connect people.
Keiya's works are a new language of her own, with her thoughts tightly packed into the canvas and overlapping in multiple layers.
Kayano Tanida
She wakes up at 7am every morning without an alarm and drinks a glass of plain yogurt and strawberry milk without any fruit in it. She has become incredibly skilled at a number of games and lives her own unique life with outstanding commitment.
For her, her encounter with acrylic paints was the beginning of happiness. Painting became a daily routine, and the colorful, heart-warming expressions she creates are the landscapes she sees, and her own words, even though she rarely speaks.
>Click here for a list of Kayano Tanida's original artworks and items
