最終更新日 2022年3月30日

「Daito Artist Special Exhibition『Kosumi Genta』Gallery」「Naru Kankaku」Exhibit

Exhibition Period: February 5, 2022 ~ February 23, 2022 (Exhibition Period Ended)

Location: Citizen Gallery, 30 Hall (Daito-shi)

Introduction

 

During the month of February, I was asked to work the front desk a few times a week at the Kosumi Genta art exhibition at 30 Hall, one of ASTEM’s multiple designated management properties in Daito-shi.  I hadn’t heard of Kosumi Genta or his art before, so I was excited, and to be honest, a bit nervous. His website profile stated that he was a famous artist who had worked with many different clients: making art for CD jackets for bands like Dir en Grey, fashion designers/brands like Yohji Yamamoto, and who even had a fashion label himself! I distinctly remember thinking, “Wow, he’s really a famous artist!” 

I’ve always had an appreciation for the arts, both physical and performing. I have a lot of musicians in my family (my father was a bassist and my mother played french horn), and my grandfather on my father’s side is an artist who specializes in paper and printmaking. I was lucky enough that they passed on that love of the arts to me in many ways– I draw, make fiber arts, write and make music in my spare time–and I looked forward to experiencing more art even while working at the front desk. 

First Impressions on the First Day

When I came to the exhibition hall for the first time, I was stunned at how the space at 30 Hall was so completely transformed. Huge canvases lined one wall with vivid shapes and wild strokes, and the other walls were almost completely full with paintings of many different sizes. What stood out to me first was the breadth of color in Kosumi Genta’s work; everything from mild pastels to deep reds, blues and blacks were represented. Across the floor was taped another piece of art in the middle of being formed; splatters of paint mixed with detailed pen drawings made up of hundreds of overlapping lines, which I learned later could take hours upon hours. I was sincerely impressed by how so much variation in art style could come from one single artist.

Not long after I arrived, I got to work asking visitors to the gallery to write down their names and  phone numbers, taking their temperature and reminding them to disinfect their hands. Kosumi himself arrived shortly afterwards and did some work of his own, busily adjusting and arranging the pictures and drawing on the piece taped to the floor.

Connections Through Music

During one of the spaces of time where the gallery was empty of customers, Kosumi paused by the CD deck that had been set up for his use, proceeded to pull up a chair next to the front desk, and casually introduced himself. He asked me a few questions about my work, why I was there, and where I came from; just engaging in casual conversation. I was surprised that even as such a famous artist he had such a down to earth and friendly demeanor.  I wasn’t unhappy to be spoken to at all, it was just that I expected to be mostly ignored–I figured that he would have more important things to do than talk to someone like me, who was only doing basic work at the reception desk!

During the short chat, the topic of music came up–he had been playing songs from various CDs while he worked. 

“What’s your favorite artist? I listen to pretty much everything,” Kosumi had said.

I asked him what sort of music he liked. “When I was younger, I listened to a lot of hardcore and noise music,” he told me, “but now I listen to all sorts of stuff. What sort of music do you like?”

I thought for a moment, and responded, “Hirasawa Susumu.” An artist known for making electronic music since the 1980s, who did the soundtracks for many of the animation director Satoshi Kon’s works. (I’ve liked his music ever since I saw the movie Paprika and the anime Paranoia Agent back in high school.)

At this, Kosumi raised his eyebrows, and nodded in acknowledgement– it turned out that I wasn’t the first person to recommend it to him! In fact, someone who had come in to look at his art had recommended him before! I thought that would be the end of the conversation, and expected that he would go back to making his artwork. Instead, he fiddled with his phone and hooked it up to the CD deck, and the first few notes of one of Hirasawa Susumu’s recent songs flooded through the speakers. He kept the music playing for the next few hours as he worked, as customers came in and viewed his work. Kosumi made an effort to animatedly chat with all of the visitors to the gallery as they came in, and it felt like with each one he met, they all left with a smile on their faces. Each time I left the gallery after my shift was over, I too returned home with a smile on my face.

↑Hirasawa Susumu – “TIMELINE no OWARI”

The next few shifts I came in proceeded in a similar fashion. I would come in and ask customers to comply with COVID-19 regulations, taking their temperature, disinfecting their hands and writing down their names and phone numbers. When Kosumi came in on the next few days I was there, he would put Hirasawa Susumu on the speakers and look back at me with a friendly smile.

A Talk With The Artist Gives New Perspectives

↑ 　2022/2/5～23 “Daito Artist Special Exhibition「Kosumi Genta」Gallery – “Naru Kankaku” Exhibit Interview” (Japanese)

When I received the opportunity to be able to interview him about his work, I was surprised but excited. I was eager to learn more about how he saw his work and where he gets his inspiration from. I hoped that by listening to what he had to say, I could gain some insight into his artistic process, and that maybe I too could grow my ability as an artist.

Kosumi Genta’s words throughout the interview really struck me, and being able to walk around the gallery and hear what he had to say about his many pieces made me view them in a different light. Much of his art’s meaning seemed to come from after he drew it, realizing ideas and thoughts through a back-and-forth with his work. What stood out to me when he spoke was the incredible diversity in his pieces– some were bright and abstract splashes of color, some were more mundane depictions of life, some were realistic takes on the human body. Brilliant eyes stood out among many of the canvasses, endowing them with a sense of life. There were aspects of sexuality of the male and female body present in many works, but also motifs of veins and brain synapses visible in some others.

He didn’t just stick to one medium, using ballpoint pen, acrylic paint, pencil; during his creation of a live art piece he even broke a hole in one of his canvases, carried on by the energy of the crowd. There was incredible freedom and self-expression, while there was also the appreciation of the human form and gesture often seen in more classically styled art. When speaking to him I made a few comparisons to pieces by Picasso and Basquiat, and he said that though he didn’t intentionally borrow from those pieces, his mind is affected by other art he sees, and he likely unconsciously put aspects of that art into his own work. I was amazed by his ability to express his artistic process in such detail, even while some of it was done unconsciously. 

Kosumi Genta discussed on multiple occasions how art had helped him in difficult times and dark places, how it feels to realize that there have been many different people supporting you and your dreams over the course of your life. How even if only a small group of people can appreciate your art, even if it’s just your best friend or your mother, it’s worth the time you spent on it. I thought that in this age of social media, where art is so frequently critiqued by hundreds of people at a time, that it is a great way to manifest a sense of pride in one’s work and stave off self-doubt.

In Summary

Being able to speak to Kosumi Genta about his art was truly inspiring. I am so honored that I was able to share in a discussion of his artistic process, and that I was able to have such a rapport with him during his time in Daito.

A detailed profile on Kosumi Genta and his work can be found on his website →　http://yesyeshihi.net/kosumigenta/