[Painting with Love] Sakura Interview
Sakura's solo exhibition, "Signals from Planet Milofinii," will be held at Picaresque Gallery from Wednesday, August 13, to Sunday, August 24, 2025.
In this interview, we spoke with Sakura about herself, her creative process, and the works being exhibited this time. We hope you enjoy it.
Please introduce yourself.
My name is Sakura. I am a watercolor artist. I paint with love, hoping to light up as many beautiful things as possible in a world that is never short of pain and sadness.
Just as there are people who love apples or the sea, I love the joyful faces and happy appearances of living things.
My future dream is to become a picture book author and to quietly run a cafe in the forest.
What inspired the worldview of your current work?
When I was about eight years old, I wondered why sadness never disappears. I kept thinking about how if someone becomes happy, someone else becomes sad, and if there was any way to change that. When I was a university student, I fasted to understand what it is that saves people. The only time I could forget the painful, agonizing hunger was when I was moved by seeing something beautiful. Since then, I have been trying to create beautiful things.
Why do you use the materials you currently use to create your work?
I haven't received any art education other than elementary, junior high, and high school art classes, so I can only draw with watercolors, pens, and a little bit of digital illustration.
I continue to use watercolors because I can express what I want to express using only what I was taught in elementary school.
I love watercolors because they express everything from a fluffy, airy feeling and softness to weight, thickness, and light.
I also love that even when they dry, they turn back into paint when you add water, which allows me to paint carefully, slowly, and leisurely.
Where do you usually get your inspiration from?
It pops into my head suddenly while I'm living my daily life.
Sometimes I think, 'I'm sleepy, I want to sleep, I have to do laundry, I was planning to go out,' but once an idea pops up, I can't help but draw it.
I also feel like ideas often come to me when my emotions are stirred up.
In that sense, perhaps the emotions that accumulate in my daily life become my work.
Are there any artists or works that have influenced you?
FINAL FANTASY! I love it! I was especially influenced by the scenarios and music, as well as the works of Yoshitaka Amano. I have also been greatly influenced by shojo manga artists like
Moto Hagio and Keiko Takemiya. I also like the illustrators
Kay Nielsen and Edmund Dulac, and the picture book author Brian Wildsmith.
What kind of works do you want to create in the future?
I want to be able to create beautiful works that allow those who see them to forget their sadness, even if only for a little while.
And to those who welcome my work into their lives,
I believe that decorating with a painting means walking through life with it, so I ask each piece, 'Please live on as a good friend.'
I want to create works that can be a good ally to that person, both in times of hardship and in times of joy.
Do you have a message for our customers and everyone planning to visit?
Thank you for living until today. I find that very precious and it makes me very happy.
I am truly happy that you are coming, but it is very hot every day, so please take care of your health.
I will continue to send signals from a distant star, praying for your happiness. If you can receive those signals, even for a moment, there is nothing that would make me happier.
With more love than I can hold in both hands.
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Sakura, thank you for sharing so many precious stories with us. Which episode left the biggest impression on you all?
This is a rare opportunity to see all of Sakura's exhibited works in person. We look forward to seeing you there.
Sakura Solo Exhibition "Signals from Planet Milofini"
<Dates> Wednesday, August 27 – Sunday, September 7, 2025
<Details>https://picaresquejpn.com/sakura_exhibition_2025/
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[Standard Business Hours]
*Open: Wed - Sun & Holidays 11:00 - 18:00 *Open until 21:00 on Thursdays only
*Closed: Every Monday and Tuesday
*Venue: Picaresque Gallery
*Address: 4-54-7 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
*Phone: 070-5273-9561
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■ List of current and past exhibitions
https://picaresquejpn.com/category/information/
■ List of upcoming and scheduled exhibitions
https://picaresquejpn.com/exhibition-calendar/
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