Anne Suzuki Talk Session: Respect for Expression Changes How We See the World – Part Two
In the latter half of the talk session "Respect for Expression Changes the Way We See the World" with actress and painter Anne Suzuki, held at Hankyu Umeda Main Store in June, the participants discussed the commonalities between art and acting, as well as their daily creative practices.
A healthy world where there's no hesitation in creating things as they are.
Takamichi: Anne, you're also an actress. Is there an overlap between acting and art?
Suzuki: I think it's very much the same in that you're making the invisible visible. It's a job of transforming something written in two-dimensional words in a script into something three-dimensional, or even four-dimensional. How those emotions, movements, and relationships change is something invisible, isn't it? Art also makes something invisible—like an atmosphere, a movement, or an energy—into a visible form. The output may differ, but I feel like we're doing the same thing in the end.
Moderator: Anne, are there days when you can't or don't want to paint, or when things just feel off? Do you always paint with such energy?
Suzuki: I run an online community called Share Atelier Pukupuku, and I've made it a rule to upload one drawing every day. There are times when I'm tired, or I almost forget because I'm having fun drinking with friends, or I even draw when I'm drunk (laughs). But it's really good for my mental health as a routine. Even just drawing one circle a day, I think that accumulation of small self-affirmations really resonates later. We're always sharing how to live a healthy life amidst daily fluctuations, and I make sure to draw one picture every day, no matter what the circumstances.
Share Atelier "Pukupuku"
Founded by actress and painter Anne Suzuki, it serves as a safe space for expressing creative activities, inspired by her own creative endeavors.
When I'm working on a larger piece, I wait for the moment when my body feels like moving. I basically leave the canvas out and my art supplies ready so I can start drawing even in the middle of brushing my teeth in the morning. I'm always looking for that moment when I can get into the flow of creation. Before an exhibition, I sometimes intentionally take a full day off, and then things progress very well afterwards. I do these things experimentally, trying to find the right timing.
Takamichi: So, painting is a part of your daily life. For example, my older brother writes down his daily schedule — "7 AM wake up, 8 AM drop off, 9 AM appointment, bath time, bedtime" — on a piece of paper and carries it with him. That gives him a sense of security. Especially for people with autism, strong anxiety arises from not knowing what to expect, so sharing plans clearly is very important. Even when we went to New York, we had to tell him far in advance exactly what day we were going and when we'd be back. I remember in high school, my brother, who was very strict about his bath time, didn't come out for hours, and when I checked, the clock was broken. I think these individual things are what make life itself so interesting.
Moderator: On the other hand, I think some people feel a high hurdle to expressing themselves, perhaps thinking, "I'm not artistic, so I can't create anything," or "I'd be embarrassed to have an ugly drawing in my notebook." In such cases, how should one think? How do you convey that message to them?
Suzuki: Right. When I had my first exhibition, I felt that people thought, "This is fine." There were people who felt then that it was okay to exhibit even if you hadn't received an academic art education, or that it was okay to draw freely. I even received feedback from people who said they started drawing again or for the first time after that.
Even in the share atelier I run now, we start from the idea, "Everyone drew when they were little, so you can draw now too." It's not just about drawing; it can be sewing, singing, or any other form of expression. You don't have to upload it to social media right away; just a single line or a circle is enough to start with.
Children's drawings are truly wonderful; their creativity, unburdened by comparison, just shines through. They naturally use colors that adults would hesitate to. I believe that feeling is actually inside everyone, and I hope we can all remember it. It's not about being good or bad, but just trying. I think it's important to encourage that first step.
Takamichi: I think a community where there's no hesitation in creating is incredibly important. My twin brother and I are big fans of the Folk Craft Movement, for example. In the movement that re-evaluated things initially considered as folk arts or local crafts, like Sashiko embroidery, Soetsu Yanagi left behind the words, "There is no ugly drawing in a child's art." He believed it was because they are liberated from the concept of beauty and ugliness.
My daughter is 7 now, but until she was about 3 or 4, she would draw the sun in rainbow colors and express the sky with various free colors. But now she tells me, "Daddy, your sky color is wrong. It's blue." I think there's a moment somewhere when they learn what the "correct" answer is. It's truly the same with the works of Heralbony's artists; even for the color blue, there are so many different blues. There are blues that differ from what we imagine, and they draw them unconsciously yet naturally. I find that aspect very interesting.
Suzuki: I really think that as we go through elementary, middle, and high school, and then enter society, we gradually become constrained by the concepts of right and wrong, making life harder. That's precisely why, now that we're adults to some extent, if we could scatter more places around the world where people feel it's okay to be liberated from those notions of right and wrong, I think everyone could live more healthily.
Fumito: Heralbony's reason for existing might be similar. Rather than right or wrong, we can create various "possibilities." This is okay, and this is okay. Just one person saying "it's okay" allows the next person to take a step forward, doesn't it? That's why I'm someone who stopped drawing after Takamichi told me my drawings were "terrible" in elementary school (laughs). Takamichi was good at drawing. I wasn't very good, so maybe I was just jealous of Takamichi. If Anne's community had existed back then, I'm sure I would have been saved.
Suzuki: (Laughs) There are children in my community too, and there's a natural atmosphere where the older women watch over their growth, which I find very heartwarming and nice. I really think it's very important to have many adult eyes present. I myself started working as a child and grew up surrounded by many adults, so I wasn't isolated. I think that was a special environment, but ultimately, despite various ups and downs, I've been able to live a healthy life because there were "adults who watched over me."
So, even in our current community, I want it to be a place where everyone, regardless of age, can celebrate each other just for being alive. Sometimes, talking directly with words can be a high hurdle, so having art or self-expression as a medium makes communication a little easier. I have that feeling.
Towards a vibrant future through encounters mediated by art
Fumito: Indeed, I believe it's a huge thing for art to act as a medium connecting us with artists, sparking a desire to "get to know" them. Recently, a leading expert in disability studies from the University of Tsukuba told us that Heralbony is "a company that made people with severe intellectual disabilities be called by their names." For people who previously had few opportunities to be known or to be desired to be known, through art, more and more people are wondering, "What is this person's life like?" or "I want to meet them." I feel that expanding connections with the world in this way is the essence of what we do.
At the funeral of artist Midori Kudo, who passed away last year, many people came not in mourning attire but wearing her art, and it felt more like a gathering to "come and meet her." Seeing how she continued to connect with people through her work even after her death, I felt great hope in the way art can mediate and sustain relationships.
Click here for Midori Kudo's artist page>>
Suzuki: I believe art is incredibly helpful for connecting and encountering others. More than the act of drawing itself, the act of drawing and the finished work give me a strong sense that new connections are being forged.
Rather than drawing for myself, I find that the paintings connect people with each other. In that sense, I think art has a mysterious power to bring people together.
Fumito: Has there ever been a time when you thought, "I'm glad I'm involved in art"?
Suzuki: Many times. What I've been thinking a lot recently is that I've become more honest with myself than before. I think it's also thanks to everyone in the community that I've come to feel like "this is okay."
When I was younger, I was always so tense. Surrounded by adults and top-notch professionals, as a child, I often found myself stretching to reach higher, thinking "more, more." But as I got older and discovered expression through painting, I felt a sense of growing independence within myself.
The cumulative effect of drawing one picture a day, and being able to meet people like this, has supported me and gradually helped me relax. As a result, I feel life has become much easier. Now, having been supported so much myself, I've come to feel that I want to be able to help someone else or walk alongside them.
Moderator: That's wonderful. Being truly yourself is the most important thing, isn't it? Is there anything you do to hone that sensibility?
Suzuki: I recently moved to Nagano and I'm taking it easy (laughs). I'm doing the same things as before I moved — painting, acting, writing. To explain what moving is like, everyone says this is easy to understand: when I lived in the city, I had "life within work." But after moving, it became "work within life." It's completely different, even though I'm doing similar things.
Fumito: Heralbony's headquarters are in Iwate. I live in Iwate, and Takamichi is in Tokyo. Of course, Tokyo is fun too. You also visited our store in Ginza, didn't you, Anne? The Ginza store has a gallery where you can see original artworks by our artists. What did you think?
Suzuki: I had always wanted to go to the Heralbony gallery in Ginza, but since I live in Nagano, I often go straight home after work when I'm in Tokyo. So when I finally got to see the exhibition in April, I was really impressed. I happened to look over and saw a friend, and was surprised to learn they were working at Heralbony (laughs).
The compositions, the color combinations—everything was so different from what I would create. I felt like I was seeing worlds unique to each artist, presented so authentically. Heralbony's artists truly don't hold anything back; they just put it all out there. When I was exposed to that energy, I felt my cells activating, and I was deeply moved.
Moderator: Today we are holding a pop-up with the theme Heralbony Art Park. How did you feel after actually seeing it?
Suzuki: The dynamic gradient from unique art pieces to everyday products is fascinating, and I think it's truly innovative how they constantly explore ways to open up to society without losing the energy of the work. Art often tends to be a closed world, but they seem to be constantly seeking ways to broaden its reach without diminishing the magnificent energy of those unique pieces.
Takamichi: Yes, indeed. From the very beginning of our company, we've been very conscious of "showcasing within the umbrella of a brand."
I come from a rural town in Iwate with about 10,000 people, and when I was in junior high school, there was a common atmosphere of teasing about disabilities. It was an environment where discriminatory language could easily spread. In such a situation, I constantly thought about how we could make it be perceived as "cool." My local friends would naturally say, "That BMW is awesome!" if someone drove one, or "That's a nice Vuitton wallet" if someone had one, wouldn't they? I felt that the power of such brands is very effectively conveyed. So I thought, if art and welfare were presented in the form of a brand, wouldn't people react the same way, saying "That's good!"?
That's why we're very particular about opening up to society as a brand, alongside galleries and art, and that's still an important aspect for us. I'd be delighted if we could collaborate with you in various ways, Anne.
Suzuki: I think there's a lot we can do. I find it so natural and wonderful when something that I thought was good also quietly becomes a part of welfare. It's not something you approach with effort, thinking "this is welfare," but rather something that spreads into society more flatly, as an extension of everyday life. I feel like I can see a future where such a world emerges, accompanied by the word "Heralbony."
I think that would be incredibly kind for all humanity. So I will continue to support Heralbony, and if there's anything we can do together, I'd love to. Thank you so much for today.
▪️Profile
Anne Suzuki
Actress. Born in 1990 in Tokyo. Began her career as a child actress, active in a wide range of fields including film, television, and theater. Gained attention for films such as "Blue Spring" and "Hana and Alice," and has since expanded her expressive range primarily in theater. In recent years, she has also been involved in domestic and international stage productions, as well as art and creative activities, working as a cross-genre artist.
▪️Speakers' Attire
Anne Suzuki's Attire
Tweed Gilet〈Textile Artwork by Yoshiko〉"Untitled" ¥79,200 (tax included)
Denim Pants "Title Unknown" ¥29,700 (tax included)
HERALBONY RIDE ART T "London Taxi" ¥9,900 (tax included)
Takamichi Matsuda's Attire
Easy Care Art Panel Short Sleeve Shirt "Title Unknown" ¥29,700 (tax included)
Fumito Matsuda's Attire
Open Collar Shirt "Untitled" ¥27,500 (tax included)
