What if I could step inside the picture?

“What if I could step inside the picture?” That way of enjoying paintings, which I’ve had since I was small, is what got me started. My family loved art, so I had plenty of chances to look at paintings from an early age. But rather than knowledge or technique, what I enjoyed was imagining myself inside the picture—and that didn’t change even after I grew up.

At a time when I was worn out by everyday life, losing myself in the world of a painting saved me. From there, I began making work that I myself would want to step into and see.

How can I create the feeling of a viewer being drawn into the picture? That is what I have been working through, by trial and error, all along.

At first I built up my work by painting landscapes, light and atmosphere. Gradually, though, I came to think that rather than simply painting scenery, blurring the very boundary between reality and the picture might create a stronger sense of immersion. Along the way, my current approach—“What if I could step inside the picture.”—and compositions that connect the real world with the world of the work slowly took shape.

What I think about most is whether it’s easy for the viewer to enter the picture. I want people to enjoy the immersion of stepping into the work, so for each piece I think about what that way in will be.

For example, I might paint what looks like a hole opening in the wall, with flowers inside it, so that flowers seem to bloom beyond the real wall. Or I use a composition that looks as if the viewer has wiped the condensation off a window. I change the device for every piece, so that it’s easier to slip into the picture.

I want to bring my work to more people, and keep pursuing paintings that let them feel the immersion of stepping inside.

My grandfather, who was a painter, passed away suddenly before I could show him my paintings. Because of that, I never want to be left again with the feeling of “I wish he could have seen my work.” That’s why I want to create more chances for people to see my work, and through it, offer experiences that stay with someone.