Public eye #32

Shiori Clark, artist

What kind of art do you make?
SC: Currently, illustrations.

How long have you been into illustrating?
SC: I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, although it’s not like my parents set out for me to become an artist or anything. I have an older sister who’s a musician; she plays the piano and sings.

Do you remember ever thinking, ‘This is it, this is what I want to do’?
SC: During my first few years of elementary school my emotions were all over the place. However, I discovered that the act of creating things worked as a kind of emotional release for me, which is why I decided to work in a position that would allow me to be creative.**

So, at that point you hadn’t yet decided to become an illustrator as such, but rather just that you wanted to make things?
SC: I’ve been really into television since my elementary school days. From there I went on to develop a keen interest in moving imagery and later joined the department of Imaging Arts & Sciences at Musashino Art University. While on the course, I used moving imagery to create various things, including installation and performance art. However, after graduating, I decided to go back to illustrating.

Do you feel that something changed inside you, or did you feel a desire to change the way you express yourself?
SC: I wouldn’t go as far as to say that I’m trying to express what’s inside of me. However, as we live our lives we learn new things – the way we do things and the way we think change as we learn more. I try to take on board these new things, adding them to what I already know and then change as I see fit. I think these changes reflect in my work. In my excitement and confusion, something wells up from inside, something beautiful, something I try to give shape to in my art.**

Do you illustrate at home?
SC: Yeah, I spend a lot of my time illustrating there. I also read books and surf the web.

Do you have any other hobbies?
SC: I’m a member of a table tennis team.

That sounds a bit random, what led you to join a table tennis team?
SC: About a year ago, a friend of mine exhibited some work at an event called the Tamagawa Art Line. A part of the event involved a table tennis tournament at a shrine. [Laughs] Having not played in quite a while I joined in and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Another team at the event included art director Asaba Katsumi. After the event, at an afterparty, I asked him to let me join his table tennis team.

You asked him directly?
SC: Yep. He replied by inviting me to a practice session. [Laughs] In order to brighten up the image of table tennis, Katsumi-san suggested that the tables be coloured blue and the balls orange. He’s been a table tennis fanatic who’s been into the sport for about 40 years.

Do you still go to practice?
SC: I go once a week. After practice, we all go drinking in Shibuya together.

So you often come to Shibuya then?
SC: I like it there; I like the atmosphere. You get the feeling that there’s always something going on in Shibuya. A lot of my friends hang out here – everyone seems to work in either Shibuya or Aoyama. Plus, there’s also Tokyu Hands, which is convenient for when I want new art supplies.

Sounds like you’ve been coming to Shibuya for quite a while?
SC: I used to commute to uni from Chiba – the journey took two hours. [Laughs] I’d usually change trains in Shinjuku, so, at the time, hanging out in Shibuya was kind of special.

More from Shiori:

‘There was a time when I was really into Neanderthals… after studying various aspects of their existence I began thinking that I wouldn’t mind living in a cave myself. Although I’m happy enough with urban life for now.’ [Laughs]

‘My father’s British so I’d like to live in London at some point in the future. From my perspective at least, the UK is different from everywhere else. After living in the UK for a while, maybe I’ll come back to Japan or maybe I’ll go somewhere else instead.’

‘My father has a kiln on the Boso Peninsula. It’s so full of nature that monkeys come to the garden. I lived there for three years when I was a junior high school student …during which I once mistook a monkey for my mother.’

Website: ShioriClark www.shioriclark.com/