10 Questions with Risa Koyanagi

Risa Koyanagi, a versatile artist, began her artistic journey studying piano under Noriko Amano and Shadow Box under Ineke de Bruijn from Oct '09 to Oct '11. Her exploration extended to Oil Painting with Yukiko Hamano during the same period. Recognized with the Excellence Award in Poetry in Nov '11, Risa expanded into the realm of theater, performing in "Carmen" with the Maribor National Opera (May '14 - Aug '14).

Achieving the JYOJI-ROCK U-16 Excellence Award in Jan '20, Risa continued to shine with selections for the Monster Exhibition in 2021 and 2023. Under Nobuhiko Utsumi, Professor Emeritus at the National Fine Arts School in Peru (Aug '22 - May '23), she delved into avant-garde art, culminating in her group exhibition "Jailbreak Incident Gushing of Physiological Rejection Water" in Mar '23.

In Feb '20, Risa assisted in the photo exhibition "Letters from 3.11/Voices of Sound." Her writing featured in "Idogawa Kawaraban," a magazine addressing the Fukushima Nuclear Accident Exposure lawsuit in Oct '22. Engaging in global affairs, she delivered a speech during the Japan-Netherlands Peace Exchange Program (Oct '23) and visited the Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the professor at Sophia University (Aug '23).

Academically, Risa pursued courses at the University of Edinburgh, Harvard, and Yale, exploring philosophy, justice, rhetoric, and the intersection of music and social action. A member of International MENSA since Oct '20, Risa's journey exemplifies a fusion of artistic expression, intellectual exploration, and a commitment to social awareness.

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ARTIST STATEMENT

“I am a Japanese artist and Philosophy student, and I contribute to peacebuilding. Philosophy, art, and peacebuilding are the three main pillars that have built me since I was a child. In all three cases, it is essential to be able to see the true nature of the subject matter with a keen eye for observation, to continue to question society and to take action without being constrained by artificial frames of nationality, race, and age.” - Risa Koyanagi

Chinese Dragon, Acrylic, 31×41 cm, 2023 © Risa Koyanagi

INTERVIEW

How did you start making art? Do you remember when you realized that you were going to become an artist?

I am not sure when it started. My career started with the violin. I have been playing the violin with my mother ever since my earliest memories. When I lived in the Netherlands as a child, I started piano and oil painting too. I had the opportunity to learn from the harpsichordist Noriko Amano. At the same time, I got the Excellence Award in the Japanese national literature contest for children abroad for poetry. After returning to Japan, I performed as a child actor in the Slovenian Maribor National Opera's "Carmen" in Japan. I also composed music for my band and studied avant-garde art. Therefore, it was natural for me to let my own creativity flow and express my original perspectives and worldview to the world. Rather than being mechanically active as an 'artist', I feel that I am in the process of getting as close as possible to the millions of years of history of art, using various methods of expression. From an early age, I also wanted to be involved in social issues such as conflicts and disasters. One of the biggest reasons is that I was not in Japan at the time the Great East Japan Earthquake happened. After returning to Japan, I went alone to the A-bomb Dome and volunteered for the disaster areas. I also started fieldwork on dark tourism in the Fukushima nuclear disaster. Since high school, I have contacted university professors and attended university lectures and research groups. I have continued to do so after entering university, and this summer I had the opportunity to visit the South Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the professor at Sophia University. I am always looking for what I can do for society. All along, I feel artistic activities have been a part of my life, and my duty is to contribute to society.

What is your personal aim as an artist?

I want to make something more interesting and creative, that's all. I want to be constantly evolving every day. I'm not interested in getting awards or contests; I hope to play a role in connecting the past with the future in the great river of humanity's endless history. I have been doing the same thing ever since I was a child. I feel like I am climbing up a long spiral staircase, little by little, to a higher level. But in the process, I don't want to forget to be involved in society as a human being.

What is the creative process behind your works? And where do you find inspiration?

My inspiration comes from the primordial, primitive energy of humanity within me and from human society, history, and philosophy. Making art is done in a world of primitive concepts, suspended from reality. The same goes for philosophy. Both deal with the metaphysical and the invisible, so there are moments when the sense of reality is lost. I guess the awareness that I am living in the long history of humanity keeps me grounded in society and well-balanced inside me. I keep going back and forth between the two senses. My work is sometimes considered radical and not for the masses, but I don't think that is the case. I express human beings as they are, in all their beauty and stupidity. Love, life, and death are all fundamental human energies common to all of humanity, right? If they feel it's radical, they just turn away from that. It's more common than anything else.

Tell us about the materials and techniques that you use. How do you choose them, and do they have particular meanings to you?

Recently, I have mainly been using acrylic paint and canvas. From the various ways I have, I use the materials and techniques that best suit what I want to express. Sometimes, it is music or writing. However, ideas don't often come from materials. Even if I do, they lack depth.

What is the most challenging part of your work?

Believe in myself and be myself. Keep asking myself what I really want to do with myself in mind. I'm trying to find my own answers in a world without answers. Pursue what is 'right' in my own mind, and once I have found the answer, keep questioning it further. And never forget to hope in the process. This is not limited to art.

What do you wish to communicate to your public?

An attitude of approaching society with a keen questioning of where we ourselves come from and where we are going with responsibility.

Primitive, Acrylic on Kent paper, 78×109 cm, 2023 © Risa Koyanagi

The People, Acrylic, 31×41 cm, 2023 © Risa Koyanagi

In your statement, you mention philosophy, art, and peace-building as the main pillars of your work. Do you have an essential philosophy that guides you in your creative expression?

I majored in philosophy because a few years ago, I was briefly involved in the trial of the Fukushima nuclear power plant accident caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake. I originally wanted to study conflict in sociology or political science, but after witnessing the worst realities of the accident, I began to wonder what "justice" would be. Artists and philosophers seem to be the closest but also the furthest. Firstly, artistic activity is a primitive, physical activity to the extreme, sometimes wild and even violent. Philosophers and so-called art critics only view the activity of art from the outside, from a third-party perspective. As Nietzsche said, art can only be seen from the artist's side. Therefore, art is not merely an object of aesthetic consciousness or aesthetic sensitivity. However, the artist and the philosopher are lovers at the same time. Hegel said that the ultimate aim of art is to unify self-consciousness with the organic individual through art. Artists question the self through the object—the same purpose that philosophers embrace. Seeing the invisible, hearing the inaudible, and finding the non-existent 'something' within oneself—the greatest purpose of art is unlimited self-exploration. To find the essence without being bound by artificial social norms is to search for the truth.

Peace seems to be constantly threatened in our world. What do you think is the role of artists in promoting or reflecting on the processes that lead to peace?

I understand that art has no power to change the world directly. It cannot change policies and overturn government decisions. However, art can raise questions with people. It can work on people's consciousness and make them more aware of their roles in society. It can even call for solidarity toward peace. Art has the power to connect people's hearts. When I exhibited my artwork "The People" in San Francisco, it was about the invasion of Ukraine and the Hamas-Israel War. A man from Palestine and a lady from Ukraine talked to me. They said, "Just the fact that the work is about this war saves my heart." Also, many other visitors to the gallery shared their thoughts on this war and peace. Of course, I know that this will not affect the war situation at all. But I believe it was a very useful and beautiful time in this worst situation in the world.

Autobiographical Film of a Young, digital, 2021 © Risa Koyanagi

What do you think about the art community and market?

In Japan, art still has a lofty image. It is something you have to pay money to see, unless you go to a museum. I want to play a role in connecting art with the public without giving up on its artistry, because people who do art for business often need to give up on artistry. Also, the Japanese art scene tends to reject radical and different things, both in music and art. At best, it is conservative, but at worst, it is exclusive. There is a Japanese proverb, "A nail that stands will be hammered down," meaning that if you stand out from the crowd, you'll get hammered down. We need to keep our heads down. Japan says, "Everyone should be the same," like mass production of clones to work. The word "workaholic" is also famous; everything is too mechanical in Japan. It's like there's one rail, and if you go off it, you're screwed. The Japanese art scene is too focused on technique, and there is less challenging stuff. And it is closed. I hope things can change for the better, and I would be happy to play a role in changing that.

And lastly, what are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

I am an undergraduate philosophy student in Japan, but I am going to study politics and philosophy at the university in England starting in September. When I went to San Francisco for my exhibition, I had the opportunity to take a lecture about the Hamas-Israel War at Stanford University. I was overwhelmed by the passion of the discussion. I always think I will never be an artist who, because of ignorance, says bad things about society. I chose England because my identity as an artist was established at an early age in Western culture. It's comfortable for me. I turned 20 last week, so I made this decision. I hope it is a good milestone. I am very much looking forward to this new journey.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.

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