Interview with Kana Hawa
How would you describe yourself and your artwork?
As a way of drawing, I first draw a painting in my sketchbook, take a photo of it, and edit it in various applications. I add poems, novels, and essays to the finished work. I haven't made it yet, but I want to make music with painting and sentences.
As for the expression of the painting, it's right to say that it's random. I don't need artificial things because I express deep emotions such as contradictions and conflicts between myself and mankind in my paintings. The reason why novels, poems, and essays are written with painting is that they are different from emotions, and rational expressions are possible in writing. Novels, poems and essays express their thoughts and feelings from a very rational point of view. By drawing them together, we can express both reason and instinct. The reason why I want to make music together is that I can express myself using hearing. I think it's easier to communicate ideas and emotions more sensibly using auditory expressions together than just visual expressions.
How do you go about beginning a new piece? Do you have an idea already in mind, or do you start working with materials or sketches to find the departure point?
I'm always making works. At the same time, I do a lot of things other than drawing. Listening to music, reading books, and so on. Then naturally, you will find what you want to draw and what you want to do. If you keep doing that, you'll always be able to make new things. Because by doing these things, new ideas and thinkings are constantly being created.
When do you think your most prolific time of day or week is?
I spend the most time making my artwork and making writing. I also listen to music, see pictures, read novels, work, and do a lot of other things for art activities.
What is a barrier you as an artist overcame? Is there anything that enabled you to develop your work as an artist in your life?
As an artist, I don't have much trouble expressing myself. Because I've absorbed a lot of things, and I've always expressed them as art, and my expression has always evolved. The problem with my activities as an artist is how to get people to see my work. I'm not rich, so I needed some ingenuity to spread my work. We've solved them by using the Internet effectively, but it's not perfect yet. We will have to continue to deal with those problems.
Did you have an idea of what you wanted to create right from the beginning?
No, at first, I made it just to comfort my depressed heart and uploaded it to the Internet. However, gradually I became deeply interested in creating works and spent a lot of time doing them. At the same time, I began to think a lot about art in my daily life. It's the same when I listen to music, and when I read novels, essays, and poems. In this way, my expression of art and my thoughts on art gradually deepened.
What is the meaning or creative inspiration for your work? We’re curious what the narrative or story is to what you are producing?
I don't trust people. First of all, human "emotion" is not a semi-permanent compensation. Second, "intellect" which is the role of controlling emotion is incomplete. This is because "intellect" is formed into different types by various factors such as age, countries, and the environment in which one grew up. Because of these factors, I don't think humans are reliable creatures. On the other hand, however, loneliness is painful. From a medical standpoint, it is clear that loneliness affects the human mind and body in various ways. Human intellect, logic, and instinct contradict each other.
"It's human distrust. But if I can't trust humans, I feel lonely."
There for, I express "conflicts" and "contradictions" in my Artwork.
Besides your artworks, are there any other things in life that your voice as an artist may consider vital or valuable? What makes you joyful and creative, in other words?
It's about exposure to various things you feel about living a normal life, natural scenery, music, writing, painting, etc. First of all, just living a normal life will be a lot of things. The various things I felt and thought about there are materials for making art for me. Next, I think there are various facial expressions in nature. I think they give me various emotions that are difficult to verbalize. Those feelings make me very imaginative. Finally, other music, writing, and creations created by others have their own individuality and thoughts. Some of them have thoughts that they didn't think of, or that they are different from others. By coming into contact with such thoughts, expressions, thoughts, etc., I can deepen my thoughts. And it makes me more creative.
Are there any exhibitions or places where people can see these beautiful creations in person soon? Anything on the horizon?
I don't have any plans for the exhibition at the moment, but I will announce them on Instagram or Twitter when I do them. I will also upload new works on Instagram and Twitter, so please check out the posts. Also, my work is used as music artwork or a book cover etc, so please check it out.
Twitter→ @kana_hawa
Instagram→ @kana_hawa
