{"id":18754,"date":"2025-04-30T23:04:54","date_gmt":"2025-04-30T23:04:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/?p=18754"},"modified":"2025-04-30T23:08:07","modified_gmt":"2025-04-30T23:08:07","slug":"hiroaki-iwasa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/2025\/04\/30\/hiroaki-iwasa\/","title":{"rendered":"Hiroaki Iwasa"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"18754\" class=\"elementor elementor-18754\" data-elementor-post-type=\"post\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a65610a e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a65610a\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-6c02b98 elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"6c02b98\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t<style>\/*! elementor - v3.21.0 - 22-05-2024 *\/\n.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-stacked .elementor-drop-cap{background-color:#69727d;color:#fff}.elementor-widget-text-editor.elementor-drop-cap-view-framed .elementor-drop-cap{color:#69727d;border:3px solid;background-color:transparent}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap{margin-top:8px}.elementor-widget-text-editor:not(.elementor-drop-cap-view-default) .elementor-drop-cap-letter{width:1em;height:1em}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap{float:left;text-align:center;line-height:1;font-size:50px}.elementor-widget-text-editor .elementor-drop-cap-letter{display:inline-block}<\/style>\t\t\t\tYear of birth: 1987.<br>\nWhere do you live: Fukuoka, Japan.<br>\nYour education: Graduated from Bunka Fashion College, Fashion Director Major.<br>\nDescribe your art in three words: Job, Work, Profession.<br>\nYour discipline: Building my career by doing what I\u2019m good at. \/ Moving beyond labor to begin real work. \/ From consumer to creator.<br>\n<strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/hiroaki_iwasa\/\">Instagram<\/a><\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f532e0f e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"f532e0f\" data-element_type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-28b2bda elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"28b2bda\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-widget-container\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p style=\"text-align: center\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18759 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-03-2014-e1746047355573.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"780\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-03-2014-e1746047355573.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-03-2014-e1746047355573-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-03-2014-e1746047355573-768x599.jpg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-03-2014-e1746047355573-600x468.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/> Hiroaki Iwasa | Relocation 03 | 2014<\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">How did you first get into creating hand-cut paper collages, and what drew you to this medium?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">When I started hand-cut collage, I imposed several conditions on myself when I thought about creating some artwork.<\/p><ol style=\"font-weight: 400\"><li>No brushes.<\/li><li>Inexpensive to make.<\/li><li>Make it with your own hands.<\/li><\/ol><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">The hand-cut collage fulfilled these conditions. Also, I usually manage an apparel brand with my wife, and my roles are design and accounting. When I thought about making and selling my own works as part of my business, apart from design and accounting, hand-cut collage was the best solution for me.\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">I was also attracted to this medium because I believe that expressing my artwork and daily thoughts on paper is of the utmost importance. I thought this medium was beautiful to look at and would be the perfect medium to trigger a new art experience for the reader.<\/span><\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">Can you describe your creative process when starting a new project? How do you choose the themes for your works?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">I have decided that I will not use AI to create materials for my collages; I believe that if I use AI to create materials to my liking, my imagination and creativity will be impoverished. Even if it costs me time and money, my first priority is to go to secondhand bookstores to find materials, even if they are not harvested, purchase them, and make use of them.\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">I do not have a particular theme in mind when creating my works. I decide on a theme after the work is completed. It is as if the finished work tells me what the theme is.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18757 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1310\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1.jpg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1-240x300.jpg 240w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1-821x1024.jpg 821w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1-768x958.jpg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-05-2014-1-600x749.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Hiroaki Iwasa | Relocation 05 | 2014<\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">How does living in Fukuoka influence your work? Do you draw inspiration from the city and its culture?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">Fukuoka City is currently undergoing a once-in-a-century urban redevelopment project, attempting to break away from the 20th century mindset (short-term mass production and short-term mass consumption). It is trying to create new jobs and industries, support art, culture, and music, and change from a city of consumption to a city of creation and higher added value.\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">The atmosphere of the city has a positive influence on my current collage and clothing making. Specifically, I strive to create works and products with higher added value. We also try to enrich ourselves economically and culturally.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">A comfortable and livable environment is certainly important, but I also want to be someone who is needed in the future Fukuoka, where like-minded people are engaged in friendly competition.<\/span><\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">What challenges do you face while working with paper as your primary medium?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">It takes me a very long time to get started on a production, regardless of whether it is a paper production or not. This is a problem with my personality. I have no high creative drive or desire to take the initiative in creating a work of art. I always work only when the deadline is imminent.\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">If there is one thing I am passionate about, it is proving that I can make a living by creating and selling artwork and products, even with such a personality.<\/span><\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">How do you see the connection between your collages and the apparel brand you run? Are there any cross-influences between the two?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">There is absolutely no mutual influence between collage and clothing making. They are completely different businesses. The difference is that clothing-making takes a shorter time from the time the product is finished to the time when sales are made and the funds are collected. Collage takes more time to complete the work, make sales, and recoup funds.\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">In our own work, we have created a system to reduce risk as much as possible by conducting businesses that take a short time to make sales and collect funds, and businesses that take a long time to make sales and collect funds.<\/span><\/p><p style=\"text-align: center\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-18760 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1050\" height=\"1503\" srcset=\"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014.jpg 1050w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014-210x300.jpg 210w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014-715x1024.jpg 715w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014-768x1099.jpg 768w, https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Hiroaki-Iwasa-Relocation-02-2014-600x859.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1050px) 100vw, 1050px\" \/> Hiroaki Iwasa | Relocation 02 | 2014<\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">What role do you think fashion and art play in expressing your personal identity or the message you want to convey?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">I never thought it had to be fashion or art because I just happened to be good at fashion and art. The message I want to convey is, \u201cLet&#8217;s go from consumers to producers, from consumers to capitalists.\u201d So if I could convey this message, I was an architect, a barista, a potter, an editor, or whatever my job was, to be honest.<\/p><h4 style=\"font-weight: 400\">How do you decide on the color schemes and textures used in your collages?<\/h4><p style=\"font-weight: 400\">We will try to avoid deciding on color schemes and textures as much as possible. I create in the dark, cut along the outline that comes into view, and only when I am satisfied with the result do I decide, \u201cThis was the right choice.\u201d\u00a0<span style=\"background-color: #ffffff;font-style: inherit;letter-spacing: inherit;text-transform: inherit;text-align: var(--text-align)\">Therefore, my technique does not improve at all. I always feel like a beginner.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Year of birth: 1987. Where do you live: Fukuoka, Japan. Your education: Graduated from Bunka Fashion College, Fashion Director Major. Describe your art in three words: Job, Work, Profession. Your discipline: Building my career by doing what I\u2019m good at. \/ Moving beyond labor to begin real work. \/ From consumer to creator. Instagram Hiroaki [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-interviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18754"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18809,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18754\/revisions\/18809"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/visualartjournal.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}