ABOUT

KENDY
  VISUAL ROCK PAINter

-Profile-

　3/4 Japanese and 1/4 Russian. He started painting on his own in 2018.
   KENDY has created a new artistic concept called “VISUAL ROCK PAINt” which coexists in the dichotomous worlds of East and West, digital and analog. Based on the cultural values of Japan, which have embraced and developed diversity, KENDY creates artworks that express the desire for the abolition of racial discrimination and world peace. At the same time, he is also is an artist working internationally, mainly in the United States, to realize well-being for Society.
  In Japan, KENDY’s works are collected by famous celebrities such as Yuki Takahashi, Executive Vice President of Bears, Inc. who supervises the Japanese TV drama “The Way of the Househusband” starring popular actor Hiroshi Tamaki, and the TBS drama “The Full -Time Wife Escapist”” etc, and Mr. Koichi Nakagawa, former Associate Professor of Osaka University Graduate School and lecturer of BOND-BBT MBA (currently President of Easy Business Lab, Inc.), who won the Best Paper Award at Euro-Asia Management Studies Association 2016.

 

-Artist Statement-

　VISUAL ROCK PAINt, a new artistic concept, is a method of painting that visualizes anger and sadness being confronted and then overcome, and encourages the viewer’s psychological well-being. The aim is to depict the process of psychological change through the external effects of music and to play a role similar to that of healing through painting. Specifically, this painting technique is based on the correlation between rock music and self-harm. By using extreme rock music as a color scheme and scratch painting, we can visualize how the subject is wounded and then how they repair their wounds. The goal is to create a work of art that can improve the control of emotions by visualizing how the subject is both injured and how they are repaired.　This artistic concept includes a lot of knowledge from his studies in business administration, religion, and psychology, which he majored in when he was a student. The visualization of the tertiary emotions that arise in the process of controlling the primary and secondary emotions are called VISUAL ROCK PAINt. In Buddhism, this can be seen as a modern form of Nirvana. The composition of KENDY’s paintings is all based on the golden ratio of Western art and incorporates the asymmetrical beauty of Zen art. In this way, KENDY has created his unique view of the world that harmonizes unity and independence.

 

-Overview-

　KENDY is an artist who created a new artistic concept called “VISUAL ROCK PAINt.” While the mainstream of modern and contemporary art, especially in the West, is based on stylistic assertions, visual rock does not assert a specific style. Unlike Western art, which is logically divided into genres, Japanese art has a history of evolving since ancient times by embracing diversity. This is why it has developed into such a diverse art form. The basics of visual rock are influenced by completely different aspects of music, such as British new wave and American hard rock, while the fashion side is influenced by Japanese kabuki culture. In his opinion, the reason why visual rock has evolved in such a diverse way, incorporating various cultures, is largely due to the philosophy of Japanese Zen art. In other words, Zen art is the beauty of imperfection that lies beyond perfection. That is the beauty of Japan. KENDY’s style has been influenced by various sources, such as the Russian Kandinsky, who visualized music, the imperfections of Zen art, and the beauty of asymmetry. He believes that accepting each other’s culture is necessary for the future of international society, and that is why he has been conducting his art activities. It is an art form that originated in Japan and is distinct from the style assertions of modern art of today.

 

-Position in Art History-

　In the historical trend of abstract expression pioneered by the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky (see below), there is the action painter Jackson Pollock. And the Japanese artist Kazuo Shiraga is also in this vein. The Japanese artist Kazuo Shiraga has also followed this trend, combining radical action painting techniques that directly link physical movement and painting with Buddhism, especially esoteric Buddhism, which places greater emphasis on the senses and body in enlightenment. KENDY’s “VISUAL ROCK PAINt” follows this trend of art history, fusing the mathematical elements of Russian abstract art, Rayonism, and the geometric elements of Scandinavian art into a unique style that has evolved to the present day. Russia, one of KENDY’s home countries, was the first country in the world to have a manned space flight by Yuri Gagarin in 1961, and the issue of identity, which KENDY has been dealing with since childhood, has greatly influenced his style. This is not only KENDY’s internal problem as a multiculturalist but also the social problem of 21st-century globalism, which can be called the space age. Environmental problems, energy problems, religious and racial conflicts, terrorism, financial and economic crises, and many other problems are still occurring on a global scale. In such a situation, to deal with various problems with a broader vision, it would be very important to consider the nature of the Universe and human beings to find a way of post-globalism, as human beings have forgotten their reverence for nature. This is how he concluded that it is very important to think about the nature of the Universe and human beings to deal with the problems of post-globalism, and he began to draw art to create questions that would raise these issues. Religious artifacts and astronomical materials have become important artistic legacies, helping to develop cosmological theories and renew our sense of the universe. Typical of this way of talking about globalism and multiculturalism in the context of contemporary art is to talk about postcolonial cultures as exoticism or to talk about historical facts in a political context. These are methods of art that have been used many times since the 1990s. That is why KENDY strongly hopes that his art, which is in the vein of minimalist Rayonism, will become a new question for the next generation to solve the problems of postmodernism.

 

-Art Concept and Painting Style-

　His artistic concept is in the historical context of abstract art, which began with the Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and led to Richter and Jackson Pollock. The Russian art of Rayonism is seen as “light” and Zen art is added to it to embody enlightened art. On the other hand, there is also an effort and role to preserve the unique Japanese art and culture of visual rock music as a cultural asset in the context of the world’s art. This is based on his experience as an aspiring visual rock musician. His painting style is also a modern interpretation of Andy Warhol’s silkscreen, mixing digital silkscreen with analog acrylic painting. It can be said that this is his new artistic method, which is typical of a Japanese-Russian quarter who wants to make many people living today aware of the social problem of “symbiosis” that people will face soon with the evolution of AI.

 

-Music and Painting-

　The fact that KENDY is self-taught in painting is also strongly related to his motto “VISUAL ROCK PAINt.” He does not have an academic background in art, except that he won awards for his art when he was a child. KENDY also used to be a visual rock musician. As a former visual rock musician, he has more knowledge of musical creation than painting. In this context, he referred to Japanese visual rock, which absorbed various kinds of music flexibly and constructed a unique worldview not found in Western rock, since Western rock has a clear separation of genres. He has succeeded in creating his new unique style by combining two completely different elements, “Japanese and Russian culture,” which would not normally be encountered. Music and painting are two different forms of expression. Some might say that, but the rapper, music producer, and art collector Swizz Beatz admits that music and art are very closely related in the world of expression. There is always music in the artist’s studio, and Wassily Kandinsky’s commercial success in visualizing music says it all. While visual rock itself is very difficult to penetrate due to the nature of the music market in Europe and the United States, this kind of sampling technique has been popular in the art world since the ’80s and 90’s as a form of simulationism. In this respect, KENDY’s style may have been relatively easy to accept in commercial gallery exhibitions in Europe and The United States from an earlier time, even though his career was still in its early stages.

 

-Concluding remarks-

　Have you ever heard of the SDGs, the goals proposed by the United Nations to be achieved by 2030? KENDY aims to achieve peace and equality among people as stated in paragraphs 10 and 16 of this goal by creating paintings that raise issues and appeal to people. The background of this artistic concept is based on KENDY’s own tragic experience of bipolar disorder, bullying due to his racial problems being 3/4 Japanese and 1/4 Russian, truancy, and finally dropping out of high school. According to psychology, interpersonal relationships worsen if the secondary emotions are not handled well by anger management and therapy. Repeatedly experiencing tertiary emotions is also said to worsen symptoms of depression and anxiety disorders. In today’s society where we are supposed to fight against stress, we must first prevent the deterioration of interpersonal relationships by healing and controlling our emotions.

　What is humanity? What is art? And what is culture?

　KENDY creates paintings that appeal to the atomic emotions that people have. In other words, he aims to create paintings that will help many people free their minds to fully exercise their power.

 

　In closing, in 2020, when the global pandemic of the Coronavirus (Covid-19) happened, mixed with the uncertainty of the future of the 21st Century, known as the Post-Corona and with-Corona era, it will probably go down as a bad part of history. “Is that what you want?” KENDY does not think so! He believes that the power of people will always open up a brighter future. Based on KENDY’s artistic philosophy of “No border in the world” from his early days, he will do his best to raise the issue of the state of people’s minds for a better future. He hopes to work with as many of you to create the future and renew history. In the present moment and the future, he is constantly working on his paintings, hoping that they will become an artistic concept that will bring light to everyone’s life.

 

VISUAL ROCK PAINter KENDY

 

-References (in no particular order) –

・Buddhism art of National important cultural treasure and property, Nara National Museum, Shogakukan 
・The way of the Buddha statue came, Jiro Sugiyama, Seidosha 
・Square Eyeglass [Pursuit of Truth], Tokumoto Sakai, Daihokankaku 
・Iwanami Museum Buddhism world, Sougen Yagagi, Iwanami Shoten 
・Introduction to Shinto, Juntaka Inoue, Heibonsha Shinsho 
・All of Shinto, Masaaki Hamada, Nihon Bungeisha 
・Illustrative Trivia Shinto, Juntaka Inoue, Natsume 
・Teaching of Illustrated Buddha, Daihide Tagami, Nishitosha 
・Japanese sensitivity and tactile structure, Kenichi Sasaki, Chuko Shinsho 
・How Buddhism looked at the universe, Kan Sasaki, DOJIN selection 
・Japanese beauty of shape, Hideki Mitsui, NHKBOOKS 
・British Royal Institute Open Lecture, Origin of the Universe, Malcolm S. Longer, Kawade Shobo Shinsha 
・Art of the World, Volume 18 Modern Art, Yasuo Kamon, Gakken 
・Russian Biography, Tetsuo Kato, East Shinsho 
・History of Shimane Prefecture, Hisao Matsuo, Yoshiaki Tanaka, Sadayuki Watanabe, Katsumi Ohinokata, Kanji Inoue, Mitsuru Takenaga, Yamakawa
・Publishing Company 
・Freedom theory, John Stuart Mill, Nikkei BP
・A Downward Spiral to the Strategic Rigidity, Kohichi Nakagawa, Yuhikaku
・Greek Mythology, Yoshihiko Akihiko, Nihon Bungeisha
・Jewish Wisdom, Hideaki Kase, Aspect 
・Old Testament, Presented by Japan Bible Society 
・New Testament, Presented by Japan International Gideon Association

 

-プロフィール-

　日本とロシアのクォーター。2018年より独学で絵画制作を開始。
　KENDYは、東洋と西洋、デジタルとアナログという二項対立の世界を共存させた” VISUAL ROCK PAINt”という新しい芸術概念を生み出しました。多様性を受け入れ発展してきた日本発の文化的価値観を基に、人種差別撤廃や世界平和への想いを込めた作品を制作しています。また同時に、ウェルビーイングな社会実現を目指し、アメリカを中心に国際的な活動を行なっている芸術家です。
　国内では、玉木宏さん主演の日本TVドラマ「極主夫道」やTBSドラマ「逃げ恥」などを監修している株式会社ベアーズの髙橋ゆき取締役副社長や、Euro-Asia Management Studies Association 2016（欧州・アジアの経営学国際学会）で論文賞を受賞された元大阪大学大学院の准教授、BOND-BBT MBA講師（現　一般社団法人やさしいビジネスラボ代表理事）中川功一氏ら著名人が作品をコレクションしています。

 

–アーティストステートメント–

　VISUAL ROCK PAINtとは、端的に表現すると、様々な異なる文化をクロスオーバーさせた作品の事を指します。大きな特徴として、まずキャンバスという規定の枠組みを超えた作品群が挙げられます。これは、KENDYの“自己の超越性(エンパワーメント)”や日露のクォーターというアイデンティティの欠如からくる“多様性(ダイバーシティ)がもたらす未来の可能性”を描いております。
　このような経緯に至った背景には、彼が高校を退学後に大学へ入学した稀有な経験を持っており、この経験が彼独自の創作に大きな影響を与えたと考えられます。言い換えると、アウトサイダーである彼特有のネガティブな側面を、アートによって超越しようとする試みであるとも言えます。つまり、四角のキャンバスという規定枠からの脱却は、常識やルールの外へ自らを押しだす事で、国境や人種間の超越を表現していると言えます。自身の作品が現代に生きる人々の活力(クリエイティブイノベーション)になれるよう、常識・ルールの外へ向かう作品を制作し続けております。

 

-美術史における立ち位置-

　彼の芸術は、ロシアの芸術家ワシリー・カンディンスキーからはじまり、リヒター、ジャクソン・ポロックと繋がってきた抽象芸術の歴史的な文脈にあります。ロシア芸術のレイヨニスムを“光”に見立て、そこに禅芸術を加える事で、啓蒙思想的な芸術を体現しています。一方で、日本のヴィジュアルロックミュージックという日本の独自芸術文化を、文化財として世界の芸術のコンテクストに保存していこうという取り組みと役割もあります。これは彼がヴィジュアルロックミュージシャンを志した体験に基づいています。

 

–芸術概念とペインティングスタイル–

　彼のペインティングスタイルにはアンディウォーホルのシルクスクリーンを現代的に解釈したデジタルシルクスクリーンと、アナログ的なアクリルペイントを混合した独自手法が採用されています。これは近い未来にAIの進化によって、人が直面する“共生”という社会問題を、現代に生きる多くの人に知ってもらいたいという、日本とロシアのクォーターらしい彼独自の新しい芸術手法とも言えます。
　前述のワシリー・カンディンスキーが開拓した抽象表現の歴史的な推移の流れの中に、アクションペインターのジャクソン・ポロックがいます。そして、日本芸術家の白髪一雄氏も、この流れを汲んでいます。身体運動と絵画をダイレクトに結びつけたラディカルなアクションペイントの手法に、悟りにおける感覚や身体をより重視した仏教、とりわけ密教とアクションペイントを融合させた氏は、自らの前衛的な手法を「フットペインティング」と呼称し、世界的にも注目されました。KENDYの「VISURAL ROCK PAINt」は、この美術史の流れを踏襲しており、数学的な要素の強いロシア抽象芸術のレイヨニスムや幾何学的な要素の強い北欧芸術を融合し、独自のスタイルへと発展を遂げ現在に至ります。

 

–音楽と絵画–

　ところで、KENDYが絵を独学で学んだということも、「VISURAL ROCK PAINt」という独自の標語を生んだことと切り離せません。彼は、幼少期のアート作品でのごく一般的な受賞を除くと、アカデミックな美術的バックグラウンドを持っていません。そのため、他ジャンルのものづくりからヒントを受け作家活動をはじめました。KENDYは以前、ヴィジュアルロックミュージシャンとして活動していた時期があります。故に、絵画以上に、音楽的な創作知識を多く持っていました。その中で、ジャンルの住み分けがはっきりしている欧米のロックではなく、様々な音楽を柔軟に吸収し、欧米のロックにはない独自の世界観を構築した日本のヴィジュアルロックを参考にし、なかなか邂逅し得ない全く異なる２つの要素、“日露文化”を結びつけて彼独自の新しい作風を生み出すことに成功しました。
　“音楽と絵画は異なる表現である。”という声も聞こえてきそうですが、ラッパー兼音楽プロデューサーでありアートコレクターのスウィズ・ビーツも、音楽とアートは表現の世界において非常に密接な関係にあることを認めています。ミュージックシーンでみられたサンプリング技術のような表現技法は、アートシーンでは80~90年代から“シュミレーショニズム”として広く普及しています。キャリアが浅いながらも、早い段階から欧米のコマーシャルギャラリー展示においてKENDYの作風が比較的受け入れられやすかったのは、彼の作風に音楽的なバックグラウンドが寄与していた影響もあるのではないか、と考えることもできます。

 

-結びに変えて-

　皆様は、国連が提唱する2030年までに達成すべき目標のSDGsをご存知でしょうか？KENDYは、この目標の第10項、第16項に掲げられる人々の平和や平等の達成を目指し、問題提起や訴求力のある絵画の制作活動をしています。この芸術概念を生み出した背景には、KENDY自身の双極性障害に悩んだ過去、日本とロシアのクォーターという人種的な問題によるいじめ、不登校、そして高校退学という悲惨な体験が基となっています。心理学によると、まず上記のアンガーマネジメントによる２次的な感情の対応がうまくいかないと対人関係を悪化させやすいと言われます。さらに３次的な感情を繰り返すと、うつ病や不安障害の症状が悪化しやすいとも言われています。ストレスと闘う事をあたかも前提とした現代社会において、対人関係の悪化は、まず防がなければなりません。KENDYは、幸福とは何か？人とは何か？芸術とは何か？そして、文化とは何か？という人の持つ原子的な感情に訴えかける絵画を制作しています。つまり、多くの人々が、もっと心を自由にしてその力をフルに発揮できるような絵画を目指し、制作をしています。
　最後になりますが、2020年に新型コロナウィルスCovid-19による世界的なパンデミックが起こりました。Postコロナ、Withコロナ時代と言われる先行きの見えにくい2020年代は、恐らく幸先の良くないスタートとして歴史に刻まれます。“それで良いのでしょうか？KENDYはそうは思いません！人の力は、常に未来を明るく切り開くと信じています。No border in the worldという、KENDYの初期からの芸術思想を基に、より良い未来に向けて、人々の心の在り方を問題提起出来るように彼は全力で取り組んでいくでしょう。多くの皆さまと共に未来を作り上げ、歴史を刷新して行きたいとも思っています。皆さまの明日に光をもたらす芸術概念になる事を切に望み、今日も明日も、絵画制作に向き合っています。

VISURAL ROCK PAINter KENDY

 

–参考文献（順不同）-

・国宝重要文化財　仏教美術,奈良国立博物館, 小学館
・仏像が来た道 , 杉山二郎 , 青土社
・正方眼蔵 【真実の求め】,酒井得元, 大法輪閣 
・岩波美術館　ブッタの世界,柳宗元,岩波書店
・神道入門, 井上順孝, 平凡社新書
・神道の全て, 菅田正昭, 日本文芸社
・図解雑学 神道,井上順孝, ナツメ社
・図解ブッダの教え, 田上大秀, 西東社
・日本的感性　触覚とずらしの構造, 佐々木健一, 中公新書
・仏教は宇宙をどう見たか, 佐々木閑, DOJIN選書
・かたちの日本美　和のデザイン学, 三井秀樹, NHKBOOKS
・英国王立研究所公開講座　宇宙の起源, マルコム・S・ロンゲア, 河出書房新社
・体系世界の美術　第18巻　近代美術, 嘉門安雄,
・学研ロシア皆伝, 河東哲夫, イースト新書
・島根県の歴史, 松尾寿・田中義昭・渡辺貞幸・大日方克己・井上寛司,竹永光, 山川出版社
・自由論, ジョン・ステュアート・ミル, 日経BP社
・戦略硬直化のスパイラル — どうして企業は変われなくなるのか, 中川功一,  有斐閣
・ギリシャ神話, 吉田敦彦, 日本文芸社
・ユダヤ人の智恵,加瀬英明,アスペクト
・旧約聖書,日本聖書協会より贈呈
・新約聖書,日本国際ギデオン協会より贈呈