ARTIDE Yohei Sugita

Born in Mie Prefecture in 1983. Graduated from Musashino Art University's Department of Art and Design in 2008.
Contemporary artist, painter. Active both domestically and internationally. In addition to creating a wide range of bold and ambitious works, from abstract paintings to figurative paintings, he has transcended genres by participating in Amazon Prime Video's "Bachelorette Japan Season 1," appearing on NEWSPICKS, and serving as an enthusiastic commentator on forbesjapan and TOKYO mx5. Appears in various media and works as a new icon in the art scene. Selected as “100 People Changing Japan in 2021”.

ART×TIDE

Multi Compact Wallet-SUGITA YOHEI “THE TIDE”

Why did I start expressing it?

Ever since I was little, I didn't just create something and be done with it, but when creating something, there was a process of "hypothesis -> experiment -> verification -> feedback".
For example, when I was in elementary school, I didn't just want to catch fish with lures, I wanted to know more about how fish felt, so I was obsessed with handmade lures. What do the fish living in the pond eat?What season and time of day are they?What colors do they prefer?Do they eat cicadas that fall on the water surface?Do they eat weak fish? After doing some research, I created a lure that looked just like the small fish that were caught in the pond, and through trial and error, I was able to catch some fish (results). On top of that, it becomes even more interesting to see how many fish you can catch with a unique lure that doesn't seem to bite and surprise your friends...The ``process'' of thinking about things for which there is no answer becomes an adult. I think it was important for me to turn the expression I developed into my ``job''.
I didn't really realize that I wanted to make a living as a painter; I didn't have time for other part-time jobs or job hunting, and before I knew it, I had no other options other than painting. But to be honest. I may have been lucky enough to have met many different types of collectors since I was a student. Together, I visited galleries in Ginza, visited auction houses, and took them to international art fairs. I received it. I think I learned about the reality of the Japanese art world, which I couldn't learn at art school.
During the day, I studied art history and criticism at art school, and at night I created art, and on my days off, I went to see exhibitions and had dinner with customers. There was a time when I tried to talk at school about the huge gap between art inside the school and art outside the school, but I didn't have the skills to convey my dilemma well, so my art school teachers and student friends told me not to talk about it. I feel like I was being treated as a strange little strange person.
After that, I tried to apply for a graduate school at a national art school, but during the interview, the teacher who looked at my portfolio and work said, ``What are you trying to apply for? You don't need it, right?'' I thought, ``Sure...'' and just graduated, and have been working as a professional ever since.

What do you want to express with your work?

Isn't it true that you live your life thinking about casual discomforts, contradictions, complexes, and dilemmas and trying to get rid of them? I am the same way. I believe that the role of art is that playfulness is the lubricant that allows us to continue thinking about the fact that there is no such answer. The unique thing about art is that even negative or taboo things can become the best solution depending on how you express them.

What do you worry about other than spending time in front of your work?

You might be surprised, but there have been many times I've wanted to leave art. It still exists now.
In the first place, I didn't fall in love with art; rather, I was good at it, which is why I haven't quit. Therefore, I am able to take into account what people outside of the art world have to say with great emotion.
I don't believe that art is the truth of the world, so I view it equally as any other content. I don't think artists should be like this or behave in an unconventional way. Other than the works. I try not to have fixed ideas about anything and not to focus too much on things.
Unfortunately, when people are concentrating on something, it's the same as when they can't see something, so they value the time when they are absent-minded. Specifically, I spend my time fishing, working on plastic models, getting massages, and going to hot springs. The colors of my works and the composition of my exhibitions are surprisingly often influenced by common everyday objects. My hobby is mini 4WD, and it's very deep, and I'm still trying to learn as much as I can to become the best in Japan. Most of my competitive instincts, inventive spirit, acceptance of inequality, and sense of balance between respecting others and valuing self-love are modeled after top racers. As a side note, these guys have such amazing technology that they can straighten out the distortion of the shaft that connects the tires with only 0.001mm difference between new tires with just their hands and eye sharpeners. When I think about how difficult it is to become a champion, I feel that art is somewhat easy. When I think about it, I guess I just like ingenuity and competition.

What does it mean to express yourself?

I want to grow, think about myself, feel despair, connect myself with others, but it's okay to be apart, and I feel like I'm collecting something shiny in the air, like a constellation. I feel like it's a thing.

What do you expect from an expression similar to TIDE?

I hope that more and more users will become aware of themselves as a brand. Buyers also become accustomed to the expressor. I would be happy if you could feel that way. Can it continue to change? For example, there are parts of the coin case that actually have white margins that users can hydro-dip paint or easily doodle on, and users can complete the work by adding to the drawings. I think it would be wonderful if I could connect myself, TIDE, and others who see it with an invisible thread by giving people an opportunity to think about their own originality.

Where does the future of expression lie?

Nowadays, there is a demand for things that are rational and eliminate waste, but at the same time, there is a need for self-love, such as liking myself for being able to appreciate things that only I can understand and things that others cannot understand. I think we are entering an era where the spotlight is on In other words, who are we all, not others? I'm interested in The future of expression may be the key to connecting the world by moving toward ``hyper-individual expression,'' which feels as if it is made for just one person, rather than making it for a large number of people.

Biography

Solo exhibition
2005 "happy painting" Tokyo Wonder Site Hongo
2008
"Yohei Sugita Exhibition" Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building Tokyo "platonic painting" Gallery MoMo Ryogoku Tokyo
2010
"emotional wild"gallery4walls Seoul, South Korea
2011
"Ecce Homo"ZENFOTO gallery Roppongi
year 2012
"Time Encounters" Sprout Curation Gallery Kiyosumi Shirakawa
2013
"BLACK SWAN" MEGUMIOGITAGallery Tokyo
"Endless Story" Shibuya Seibu Art Gallery Shibuya "Rabbit Eyes" MAKI FINE ARTS Gallery Tokyo
2014
"New Works and Collections" Minna no Gallery Tokyo
2015
"If Impressionism and Gutai art could maintain a comfortable relationship" Minna no Gallery Tokyo
2016
"the intergalactic"MEGUMIOGITAGallery Tokyo
"Painting Petals" HPFRANCE WINDOW GALLERY MARUNOUCHI Tokyo
"Encounter, space, temptation, and" LUCUA 11007th floor DMOARTS (Osaka)
"A genius painting dreams of Atlantis." TAGBOAT (Tokyo, Ningyocho) 2019
"Material World" Hankyu Men's Tokyo

group exhibition

2009
"ART in The AKY" Curated by Taro Amano Shin-Marunouchi Building Tokyo
2010
"Yamamoto Fuyuhiko Collection Exhibition" Sato Museum of Art, Tokyo
year 2012
"A fun and warm day begins when you bring art home." Curated by Hiroko Ishinabe, Ginza Mitsukoshi 8th Floor Gallery, Tokyo
2013
"KISS THE HEART♯2 Mitsukoshi Nihonbashi Main Store Tokyo
"CROSSOVER" AKI Gallery Taiwan
2015
"Nakanojo Biennale 2015" Gunma
2018
"On the Eve of the Break ~Next Generation Artists~ Bunkamura Gallery Shibuya
"TOKYO ILLUSION" Taichung Art Center, Taiwan
"Break Eve Exhibition" Adorable Gallery Celebration Tokyo on the 2nd floor of Imperial Hotel Plaza
2019
"Break Eve x Roppongi Hills A/D Gallery" Mori Art Museum Museum Shop

Award history

2007 <br>Shell Art Award 2007 Yasuyuki Nakai Jury Award Showa Shell Sekiyu Co., Ltd. Purchase Daikanyama Hillside Forum Holpein Scholarship 2007 Scholarship recipient
viaart Shinwa Art Museum Pola Museum of Art Daizo Mikoshiba Jury Award, Collector Sanae Tanaka Jury Award, Yoshihiko Noro Jury Award
2008 <br>Wonder seed2008"09 Tokyo Wonder Site Shibu
ARTWRDTOKYO2008 Tokyo Station Underground Gallery Shinjuku Art Infinity Shinjuku Marui City Tokyo Wonder Wall Award 2004"2007"2008 Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo
2009 <br>Selected for Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program 09"10"11
2010 <br>The 5th Tugboat Awards Special Prize for Planar Works: Future Masters Sponsored by: Merrill Lynch Japan Securities Co., Ltd.
Kawaii Award Shibuya Seibu Department Store
2011 <br>Article Award Masashi Shiobara Jury Award
2012 <br>Haruhi Painting Triennale Honorable Mention Haruhi Art Museum Aichi
2014 <br>The 17th Taro Okamoto Contemporary Art Award Special Award [As Japonika]
2nd Sompo Japan Art Award FACE2014

Public Collection <br>Showa Shell Sekiyu Holbein Industries Co., Ltd.Flawless

others
2012 "L'Arc~en~Ciel 20thL'Anniversary EXHIBITION" Exhibition Artwork provided by Yokosuka Museum of Art
2013 <br>Published participating in Takashimaya ART Yukata 10 [What artists say when thinking about work, life, and the future]
Art provided for the film “Wolf Poem” by Saburo Higashimoto
2015 <br>Rapper HAIIRO DE ROSSI's BEST & MIX CD jacket artwork
2016
Sponsored by TAGBOAT at the contemporary art seminar “About the value of art and collections”
2017 <br>Isetan Mitsukoshi night party live painting
INDEPENDENT TOKYO 2017 Guest Artist Live Painting Aosando Art Fair 2017 valmuer Omotesando (Tokyo, Omotesando)
HOLBEIN OPEN STADIO (live painting)
Art Sapporo 2017 (Art Fair) CROSS HOTEL SAPPORO Hokkaido
2018 <br>One Piece Club Study Group Guest Artist Talk Show “Collector’s Honest Thoughts, Artist’s Honest Thoughts” Location: 3331artchiyoda
“Contemporary Art Black Market” sponsored by Chaos Lounge
Shanghai Art Fair [Recommended by Mitsubishi Corporation Art Gate Program MAGP]
2019 <br>One Art Taipei Taiwan Art Philippine Art Fair Tokyo Art Central Hong Kong Chinese Art Osaka Art Taichung Taiwan
2020 “KunstRAI” Amsterdam Netherlands

Media appearance
2012 <br>Starred in the news program Tokundani starring in Super News
2013 <br>Mitsubishi Corporation Corporate Image CM Appearance (Art Gate Edition)
Starring in a surprising broadcasting station
2016
Appeared as Japonika on NHK Special News Metropolitan Area
2017
Appeared on the eve of BS Fuji break
2019 <br>Appeared on TV Asahi Video Musse du Momoclo
2020
Amazon Prime Video “Bachelor Japan” gender-reversed version! Appeared on "Bachelorette Japan"

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