Amano
NEW PEOPLE is not the average cultural exhibit. This new attraction opening next month, August 15th, in San Francisco, CA, is unlike anything seen in the states with its mixture of Japanese culture, art, cinema and much more. Part of this mixing of culture and display is a just announced art exhibit uniquely title SUPERFROG Gallery. Located on the third floor of NEW PEOPLE this 2,000 square foot exhibit is something gamers of all ages need to get excited about as it will house the legendary work of Yoshitaka Amano. What’s in a name? Here is what the official press release says about the name,
“Named for the short story Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, by acclaimed writer Haruki Murakami, the SUPERFROG Gallery will offer a permanent outlet for established as well as emerging artists who draw inspiration from Japanese pop and modern culture.”
While the gallery is rare and unique the display of Amano’s work is equally as elusive and should be celebrated. Amano will lead with his newest exhibit, DEVA LOKA, created for NEW PEOPLE and named after the Ancient Indian land of God. Here is more from the press release and Amano as well as some questions we were fortunate to have Amano answer about the gallery and his work in general.
“Amano is widely acclaimed for his work in animation and video games. He is renowned for designing the characters for the hit video game, Final Fantasy, as well as for anime films including Vampire Hunter D, Guin Saga, Final Fantasy, and Front Mission. This will be Amano’s only scheduled U.S. personal appearance this year; a panel discussion focusing on his work and a rare autograph session are also planned as part of the Grand Opening festivities.
“This exhibition at the SUPERFROG Gallery brings me back to the U.S. after a long period of being away,” says Amano. “Between the late 60’s and the 70’s, and during my early years in the art world, I was greatly influenced by American comic books and pop culture. I’d like to show my gratitude for the inspiration America gave me with this exhibit. With the theme of DEVA LOKA, all of my concepts and influences are able to come together, centered in one place. I hope everyone enjoys my show.”
The Examiner Interview with Amano
Q: New York, London and Paris. Just a few locations your work has been on display. Why is San Francisco and NEW PEOPLE next? What drew you to this very unique and innovative project and location?
Amano: The first thing that drew me into this exhibition is the uniqueness of the NEW PEOPLE project. It’s not just an ordinary gallery, nor an event space, but a project to create a center where today’s Japanese pop culture is showcased in a broader range. It was very exciting to be asked to take a part in it. Also, I haven’t done shows in the U.S. for a while, so it’s doubly exciting. NEW PEOPLE’s founder, Seiji Horibuchi’s enthusiasm about my work was also very, very gratifying.
Q: What works can visitors expect to see on display, any particular category or a sampling of all your beautiful work?
Amano: I was very much influenced by American comics and pop art of ‘60s in the early days of my career. For this exhibition, I created some works as a kind of homage to that era, re-constructing the influences I received into my style of recent years.
Q: What would you like visitors to take away from their exposure to your work?
Amano: I hope each of you to buy the works and take them home!! Well, jokes aside, I suppose it’ll be different by the generation. Those of my generation might sense some nostalgia in some of those homage works and the younger generation might take it in relation to today’s animation/game images. Hopefully, I’d like the audiences to feel the continuity between the two.
Q: NEW PEOPLE is unlike anything seen in the states, how do you think the mixture of Japanese culture will be received from the art gallery to clothing to unique cinema ... everything it offers?
Amano: I am just an artist and I’m not sure if I qualify to talk about this unique and ambitious project of NEW PEOPLE. What I probably could say, though, is that it’s not an imitation or something that is under an influence of others. As an artist, I started out with imitations and influences and slowly established my own style. I believe NEW PEOPLE project will introduce a new style of cultural center which is not top-down by establishments but rather bottoms-up from people’s heart.
Q: Square Enix has been re-releasing many Final Fantasy games in past months. Have you seen an increased interest in your work due to these re-releases?
Amano: Luckily, my schedule is filled with enough shows and projects at the moment and I can’t handle more!!
Q: Are there any new, upcoming projects you'd like fans to know about?
Amano: We are talking about some continuous presentation at NEW PEOPLE and that is very exciting. A new graphic novel Shinjuku (collaboration with Mink) and the U.S. version of “SKY (encyclopedia of Final Fantasy images), both from Dark Horse Comics, will hit the market toward the end of the year.
Q: What subject have you not illustrated that you'd love to work with?
Amano: There are so many!! That’s why I keep working!
Q: Finally, how do you feel when your art is referred to as iconic, beautiful and helping to define not only the master piece that is Vampire Hunter D but the Final Fantasy gaming series?
Amano: I’ve been having great fun creating visual images through my imagination based on the materials given to me, and more than half of your praise should go to the creators of those novels and games which gave me the inspiration. These days, I’m having fun creating works based on my own fantasy. Each work may not represent the entire world in my head, but someday, when seen together, it’ll show the core of my imaginative world, I hope
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