InterviewFeatured Artist

"I create works based on photos I take myself. I like to go to various places and take pictures, but I try to express the atmosphere and scene of the place, as well as the mental images I feel, and I hope that everyone can feel them through my work. The method of making software as a foundation is the mainstream these days. There are also works that feature characters. The character is not a fixed person in me, but a character that comes to mind at the moment from the scenery."  
　
During the online interview, Mr. Kobayashi answered the interview while displaying his own work in the background. He says he likes to take pictures and make his works of art. First, Pu Kobayashi asked us about the background leading up to his current career as an artist. 
　
"I spent my time in Kyoto until high school, and I loved drawing since I was a child, and from junior high school to high school, I became strongly attracted to anime and manga. Mobile Suit Gundam" and other legendary works were born. When I aspired to be a manga artist and started reading anime mooks and related books, I was moved by the background boards and illustrations in magazines, and I felt like I wanted to draw something like this. Kyoto is a place where you can feel many things just by walking around the city. Even now, when I go back to my parents' house, I often take pictures and make a stock of my work. Sometimes I take pictures on a business trip. Also, the place called Onomichi in Hiroshima, where I lived until six or seven years ago, was a beautiful and picturesque place with mountains and seas. I especially liked the scenery of the Seto Inland Sea. I think the retro feel is very good. As places where I can stimulate my desire to create, I feel that my hometown of Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Onomichi have become the backbone of my artistic activities."

"When I take photos, I only use the scenery, not people or models. Whether or not a character appears is a matter of the atmosphere and the whims of the place. Sometimes I come up with it when I take a photo, and sometimes I add more characters later. In addition, we are focusing on the expression of light. I like it because it looks very dramatic when the light shines in from a low angle. It is also atmospheric to see the shadow of the building next door. In the morning and evening, the scenery will be completely different, even in the same place. I think light is also important for creating a picture that is rich in variation. The expression of the work also changes, so I sometimes add arrangements in the process of making it into a work from the photo stage. I changed the "summer photo" to a "work of winter snow". I often add my own arrangements, such as falling leaves and turning into autumn leaves. You can also create a spring, summer, autumn, and winter scenery from the same image."  
　
What goes well with a peaceful landscape painting is a cute sign. The way it is written in hiragana like a brush seems to match Pu Kobayashi's Japanese-style cityscape. It is said that he imagined a balloon filled with air from the sound of "poof". He also talked about a unique sign that looks like a restaurant logo. 
　
"I became my current age about a year ago. I designed the "pu" of hiragana and designed it round. This sign is also digitally drawn."

"I started drawing in earnest as an artist in my 50s, and when I met a professional artist who, like me, was drawing landscapes based on photographs, I felt that I wanted to paint in this way. I feel that I was greatly impressed and influenced by him. I have seen many other artists, reflected them in my own way, and am impressed by their styles. For example, even if the production flow is the same as "turning photos into pictures", each artist's individuality will appear. Even if you create a work based on the same photo, no one person will be able to create the same thing. I really enjoy the moment when I receive these learnings."  
　
Even if it is based on the same photo, many readers may be very interested in the story. In this interview, Pu Kobayashi was able to tell us about the parts that bring out the artist's unique flavor. In the coming season, the scenery combined with lush greenery and shimmering lights will surely create many works full of Kobayashi's unique charm. I also received information about future sales, so I would like to introduce it. 
　
"I think the characteristic of my work is that it is a screen with plenty of light. I also feel that the fact that it is a work specializing in landscape painting is also a unique character. I hope you will enjoy the scenery where light shines through the trees. Currently, I draw about four works a month, and I also exhibit at group exhibitions every month. Currently, I am creating refreshing scenery in early summer and summer for Japan Bridge Art's group exhibition after April. I would be happy if you could take a look."