I
asked Shinji Naganawa how he felt when he heard that his entry El
Sueño de Pepito (Pepito’s Dream) had been awarded first
prize in the annual Alora
art competition.
Proud?
No, he smiled. I am always trying to improve my art, he said, I
always want to do better. This award came at a time when I was on
the point of changing my style, moving in a new direction. I have
entered paintings in the competition before and you never know what
to expect. It is always hard to imagine which one the judges will
choose.
Surprised?
Perhaps a little, since my entry was in a similar style to previous
entries, which did not gain recognition. Perhaps it increased my
self-confidence a little in my work. I always wonder if my paintings
are as good as I intend them to be and the award made me think that
perhaps they are, that I did achieve what I set out to do.
And what is Pepito’s Dream?
It is a dream of hope, said Shinji, he dreams that things might
be better.
What things? His own future? The fortunes of his family?
Yes, all of those things, but in general he dreams of a better world,
a world that lives in peace.
Do you have hope yourself that the world can live in peace?
Impossible, he said. Never.
Why is that?
People are never content. They always want more. They want what
other people have got. And many of them simply help themselves and
take it. Unfortunately, I cannot picture a world myself without
war.
The world in Shinji’s garden studio in Alora was at least
an oasis of peace. And productive effort too. Shinji showed me some
of the work he has recently completed, examples of his new style,
his new direction.
You can see that now instead of darker colours, predominantly blue,
I am using red, orange, yellow and green. The mood is brighter,
lighter and more colourful. At the moment I am painting people that
I see around me, never from photographs or poses, but always from
my memory. A lot of the paintings you see today are of people around
here, in Alora, some of them friends of mine.
Do you feel at home in Alora?
Yes, I feel very much at home. I have become accustomed to the different
way of life here, I can speak the language and I like it very much.
And your plans for the future?
For the last two years I have buried myself in my work, developing
my art, searching and learning. Now it is time that I surface again,
with my new work, it is time to exhibit my paintings and hopefully
to sell some of them. In the next couple of months I am going to
take my latest collection to Japan in search of a new patron, someone
who will help me to promote my art.
Will it be easy, do you think?
It is never easy, he said.
Easier after his recent success, I feel sure.
Buena suerte, Shinji, good luck!
See article
on Shinji - Art, Flamenco and
Communication
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