My personality and temperament are quite average, I think, but I am always aware of the unique world I can create.
Toshio Shibata
1949
Tokyo
Who are you?
My personality and temperament are quite average, I think, but I am always aware of the unique world I can create.
When did you feel you had to be an artist?
I was 16 when I discovered the paintings of Paul Cézanne and at that time, my high school made me decide what to study in the future.
How would you describe your art?
I make photographic images that were taken from landscapes and phenomena.
What do you hope to achieve with it?
My goal is to construct a world that only I can create. I hope people see my images as artworks, just as tangible ones.
Which artist has made an indelible impression on you?
Edward Weston. He was my first hero in photography.
Who do you admire the most?
Kaishu Katsu, a samurai and politician, who lived in the last decades of the Tokugawa period, a time of peace and growth under the shogunate (military dictatorship) founded by Tokugawa Ieyasu.
What advice would you give to your younger self?
Live without regret.
Which subject would you like to know more about?
Mental flexibility.
What is the one thing you can’t live without, besides art?
The warm heart of the people.
What do you dream of?
I often dream about my childhood and I wish to have a bit more time to pursue my work.
Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture (2008) © Toshio Shibata
Niimi City, Okayama Prefecture (2014) © Toshio Shibata