
Thinkspace is excited to present YOSUKE UENO for ‘Beautiful Noise‘ our sixth solo exhibition together with the artist. His new series of works are inspired by the reborn aesthetic of the Japanese art of “kintsugi,” which refers to repairing broken pottery by mending the breaks with powdered gold. Ueno explores the Japanese tradition of admiring beauty in the incompleteness of objects, acknowledging breakage, damage, and noise as proof of existence. ‘
Our interview with Ueno shares his rituals before painting, his creative influences/motivations and about his fantasy dinner party.

What themes were you exploring in this body of work? Did you have a piece that was particularly challenging?
Our brain cells are replaced every day, but we sometimes stay where we are. That sound unnatural to me. I always want to erase myself of yesterday. Scrap & build. The highest point of yesterday is just a new starting point today.
What does a day in the studio look like for you? How do you structure your days?
Usually go to bed around 9pm and find myself at my studio 4 in the morning. I keep painting until get tired.
Do you have any rituals that help you tap into a creative flow?
For me, things like rituals and motivations are not necessary. If I take any of these into my creation, I wouldn’t be able to keep on by losing them. No one needs motivation to brush teeth, painting is just the same natural thing to me.
What is your most favorite and least favorite part of the creative process?
I have image in my mind. First I try to paint it out on canvas. However that eventually makes me bored because I already see it myself. At some point, I start breaking the image and then something comes up which makes me trembled. This is exactly when I feel alive.
Who are some of your creative influences? Why do they inspire you?
When I paint, I think of my friends who’ve passed away or who’re fighting with sickness in hospital. All the time I think about them, it tells me all I have to carry through my artworks is positive messages.
GOOD VIBES ONLY.
That’s it.

If you could have any skill or topic downloaded into your brain, what would you want to be able to do / be an expert at?
I feel that everything we need for life had already been installed when we were born. Also we were born, knowing what’s important. Perhaps we sometimes forget that in the middle of things surrounding our life. Through our experiences, the older we get, we remind ourselves of how to access or use these fundamental utilities within us.
What do you hope viewers take away or experience while viewing your work?
All of my artworks cerebrate being alive. No matter what or how I paint, message of my creations shout out to you is “Go alive!” In addition, I would be happier if you can enjoy and feel the happiest to see my artworks.

How do you like to enjoy your time outside of the studio? Do you celebrate the completion of a body of work?
Time with my wife. I’m with her except for the time when I’m alone. Feel comfortable to talk, and also just to be with each other.
Who would be on the guest list if you could throw a dinner party for five people, dead or alive? What would be on the menu? What would be the icebreaker question?
I will invite those who bought my artworks long time before when no one knew about me. Some of them passed away. I want them to see my latest works. I just want to thank them that their words made my artworks pushed forward to here I am. My dinner party would be like, in my studio, put my artworks side by side, have take-out hamburgers peacefully.

What was in your musical rotation during the development of this body of work?
I always love straight-worded lyric music which teenagers like to hear.
Music for challengers.
Music spirited with not giving up, seeking and struggling for dreams. True and straight words of those music have been cheering me up since I was a teenager.
