I Want To Continue Creating Artworks That Give Hope To Those Who See It. by yaya hills

I Was Born In Tokyo, And Raised In Tokyo. My Parents Took Good Care Of Me, But My Father Was Always Disappointed That I Was Not A Boy. He Never Said It Directly To My Face, But My Mother Was Never Afraid To Say It. As A Young Girl, Hearing Those Words Hurt My Feelings And It Always Made Me Sad. To This Day, I Do Not Understand Why She Did Not Stop And Why She Constantly Reminded Me Of It.

Even Though They Were Unhappy With A Daughter, My Parents Still Raised Me With Love And Care. I Will Forever Appreciate This With The Bottom Of My Heart. My Parents Were Very Education-Minded And Were Strict About My Upbringing. I Was Tied Down To Their Strict Rules. I Am Generally A Very Positive, Friendly, And Curious Person, But I Was Only Able To Express That Within My Parent’s Limit.

I Eventually Felt Reluctant To Show My True Self In Front Of Them.
I Was Playing The Good Daughter. The Only Place I Could Express My True Feelings Was Drawing. 

When I Was Drawing, My Parents Never Yelled At Me, So I Was Free To Do Anything Inside My Drawings. I Also Enjoyed Looking At Art. However, My Education-Minded Parents Never Let Me Read Manga Books. Instead, They Bought Me An Encyclopedia. This Became My Favorite Book. I Especially Liked The Many Color Gravures Of Artworks From Famous Artists. Renoir, Chagall, Monet, Manet, Millet. 

The Artists Became My Friends. Their Artworks Took Me Into An Unfamiliar World. Soon Enough, Art Became My Encouragement And It Taught Me That The World Is Beautiful, Life Is Wonderful, And To Never Give Up On Your Dream. Since I Was Very Little, I Knew That I Wanted To Become An Artist. 

During University Entrance Exams, I Told My Father Once That I Wanted To Go To Art School. Just As I Expected, He Was Against This Idea, And Told Me That It Was Economically Not Possible.
I Realized That Going Against My Father Was Not A Choice, So I Gave Up My Dream Of Attending An Art School. I Enrolled In A Typical Liberal Arts School, Started Working At A Typical Company, Got Married, Had Children, Raised Them And Followed The Common Path Of Life That My Parents Hoped For.

Yet, During All This Time, I Never Gave Up On My Dream To Become An Artist. As Soon As Things Settled Down With Child-Rearing, I Started Drawing Again. I Started Properly Learning Oil Painting Under The Late Western-Style Painter, Kouichi Akahira-Sensei.I Explained To Him My Desire To Become An Artist In The Future, So He Taught Me With Determination. 

In 2009, A Friend Of Mine Invited Me And Gave Me The Chance To Open My First Solo Exhibition (Correctly A Two Person Exhibition). Akahira-Sensei Advised Me To, “Open A Solo Exhibition At The Same Place And Time For 10 Years,” If I Wanted To Become A Professional Artist. The Following Year, I Opened A Solo Exhibition And Continued For 10 Years.

This Became My Biggest Confidence Booster. Akahira-Sensei Passed Away In 2016 In A Car Accident. He Also Told Me That “The Real Stage Is After You Opened A Solo Exhibition For 10 Years”. With This In My Heart, In 2019, I Submitted My Work To The France-Japan Multinational Contemporary Art Exhibition. I Was Selected And My Work Was Displayed. I Learned Through Talking With A French Artist Judge That International Art Was Very Free-Spirited. It Blew My Mind And It Felt Like A Thick Fog Cleared Up In Front Of My Eyes. 

I Immediately Searched Up “Ways To Present Artwork Abroad”, Learned About Jcat NY, Applied To Join, Got Accepted, And Is Now Able To Work Actively Overseas.

I Lived A Long Life, Seemingly Subordinating To My Parents’ Strict Ways, But In My Heart, I Never Gave Up What I Truly Wanted To Do And What I Truly Loved. And That Was Exactly What Allowed Me To Be Me. It Was The Reason Why I Did Not Give Up On Life. So, I Want To Draw Art That Gives Hope To Those Who Feel Pressured By Life And Are Struggling To Live Their Own Way, Just Like Me.  

Just Like How I Was Rescued By The Famous Artworks In The Encyclopedia, Art Has The Power To Make People Happy, And Has The Power To Rescue Those Who Are Overwhelmed With Life. 

“When You Were Little, What Did You Like Doing? Make Sure You Value That. It Will Help Your Life, And Guide You.” This Quote, Spoken By A Movie Director, Are Words I Deeply Treasure. Drawing. This Was Something I Loved Doing As A Child And Because I Valued It, It Guided Me Through Life. 

While I Was Trapped In The Little Box Of Parental Control, I Wanted To Become A Bird Flying In The Sky. When I Presented My Artwork Aboard, I Flew Up In The Sky. I Was Able To Fulfil My Dream. 
I Want To Continue Creating Artworks That Give Hope To Those Who See It.