We, as the Designer Interviews ("DI") had the distinct pleasure and opportunity to interview award-winning, most creative and innovative Takeo Hirose ("TH").
Takeo Hirose was born in Kyoto, 1962. He started studying photography in earnest in 2011 when Japan suffered from the huge earthquake disaster. Through the earthquake he understood that the beautiful sceneries are not eternal but actually very fragile, and noticed the importance of taking photos of the Japanese beauty. His production concept is to express the world of traditional Japanese paintings and ink paintings with modern Japanese sensibility and the photo technology. For the past few years he has produced the works with a motif of bamboo, which can be associated with Japan.
Takeo Hirose Designs
We are pleased to share with you original and innovative design work by Takeo Hirose.
Takeo Hirose Design - Bamboo Forest Fine Art Photography
Designer Interview of Takeo Hirose:
DI: Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
TH : Ⅰ started studying photography in earnest in 2011 when Japan suffered from the huge earthquake disaster. Through the earthquake I understood that the beautiful sceneries are not eternal but actually very fragile, and noticed the importance of taking photos of the Japanese beauty.
DI: What is "design" for you?
TH : Design enrich my life, make me happy and comfortable.
DI: What kinds of works do you like designing most?
TH : I like to create works of sceneries and motifs that make you feel Japan.
DI: What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
TH : I like my series of works of Japanese bamboo forests that I'm currently working on. The shape of bamboo is very characteristic and reminds me of Japan, which makes me so cool and feel tranquil.
DI: What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
TH : My favorite materials are Sony’s α99 mk2, photoshop, and Dell’s 8k display monitor.
DI: When do you feel the most creative?
TH : When I am developing my photo raw data, I feel the most creative.
DI: Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
TH : At the time of art-making, I mainly focus on the beauty of composition and shape.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when you design?
TH : When I create ny works, I feel quiet excitement.
DI: What kind of emotions do you feel when your designs are realized?
TH : I feel very satisfied and wish to show my work to others when the image in my head can be expressed in it.
DI: What makes a design successful?
TH : As a matter of fact, I really don’t know. Works based on theory are not always good.
DI: When judging a design as good or bad, which aspects do you consider first?
TH : I consider the most important aspect of design is novelty.
DI: From your point of view, what are the responsibilities of a designer for society and environment?
TH : I think artists are responsible for presenting new concepts and making an impact on society.
DI: When was your last exhibition and where was it? And when do you want to hold your next exhibition?
TH : Last year, a solo exhibition was held at Praxis Gallery, the online gallery in NY. I'm looking forward to holding a solo exhibition at a real (not virtual) gallery in the US or Europe, in the near future.
DI: Where does the design inspiration for your works come from? How do you feed your creativity? What are your sources of inspirations?
TH : The paintings of old Japanese painters such as Hokusai, Tohaku, Jakuchu, and Korin are the source of my work ideas. I like to go to photography exhibitions, but I more often get inspired by exhibitions of contemporary art and old Japanese paintings.
DI: How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
TH : I think I apply traditional Japanese painting style to my photos. I think my style is design-oriented, simple and quiet.
DI: Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
TH : I live in Chiba, the metropolitan area of Japan. My motivation is to introduce Japanese culture and aesthetics to the world. I think that Japan has both tradition and new technology and is very suitable for making contemporary art works. However, since it is an island nation, I think that Japanese people lack the sense of competition and challenge with the world.
DI: Can you talk a little about your design process?
TH : Usually, I create an image of work I want to make, and then go back and think about the how to shoot photo, shooting location, time, development, printing etc. However, one of the merit of camera is that you can quickly record a scene when you encounter an unexpected one, and sometimes I take a photo without making any preparations and then consider creating a work.
DI: Can you describe a day in your life?
TH : I usually commute to the office for work, and develop and print my work at night. On weekends, I spend time shooting and developing.
DI: Could you please share some pearls of wisdom for young designers? What are your suggestions to young, up and coming designers?
TH : I think that modern photographers seriously need to consider marketing of differentiation from so-called SNS photos. In recent years, it has been difficult to add more value to photos than just beautiful, and it becomes tougher to live only as a photographer.
DI: From your perspective, what would you say are some positives and negatives of being a designer?
TH : I think that the advantage of being a photographer is that there is a superiority in presenting yourself through SNS today. The disadvantage is that it's very difficult to add value to your work because anyone can take photos right away, sometimes greatly beautiful ones by accident.
DI: What is your "golden rule" in design?
TH : Always be aware of concept, impact and layers.
DI: What skills are most important for a designer?
TH : I think that it is creativity and sense of balance.
DI: Which tools do you use during design? What is inside your toolbox? Such as software, application, hardware, books, sources of inspiration etc.?
TH : I use Sony’s α99 mk2, photoshop, and Dell’s 8k display monitor.
DI: Designing can sometimes be a really time consuming task, how do you manage your time?
TH : I'm thinking about making new works and ideas for future works in my spare time. I come up with a nice idea often when I'm taking a walk with my dog.
DI: How long does it take to design an object from beginning to end?
TH : It takes at least a week from shooting to the final work. I often make more trial and error.
DI: What are your future plans? What is next for you?
TH : To hold a solo exhibition at a gallery in the US and Europe.
DI: Do you work as a team, or do you develop your designs yourself?
TH : I always create works by myself.
DI: Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
TH : I continue to create a series of photo manipulation works with a bamboo forest motif.
DI: How can people contact you?
TH : Please contact me from my HP contact page.