Born and raised in Fukuoka, where I live to this day, I began working at NIC (a joint venture by Iwataya and Nishitetsu; established in 1966, dissolved in 1999) which was located in the former Fukuoka Building and was a leader in interior design in Fukuoka and Kyushu, after graduating school. Going to work each day was fun and inspiring—it was a dream company. The mascot used on NIC packages was a zebra. My designs feature many creatures, including zebras. I hope you’ll have fun trying to find them in the building. The title “Mi volas paroli” means “I want to talk” or “I want to speak” in Esperanto. Ideally, I would have titled it in the language of animals or plants, but as a human, that is unfortunately impossible, so I thought the artificial language Esperanto, created with the hope of connecting people of different mother tongues, would be the best choice. I hope this will serve as a space where people can come together regardless of nationality, gender, or religion and have real conversations that foster mutual understanding.

Using a motif of plum blossoms, which have deep ties to Fukuoka Tenjin, this piece creatively captures the beautiful moment when a plant blooms from a bud. The contrast of soft, delicate petals against stainless steel creates a compelling piece that serves as a symbol of ONE FUKUOKA BLDG. Each petal is angled differently, designed to catch and reflect light from all directions. During the day, petals lit with natural light transform the appearance of the green wall with the season and time of day, creating a sense of the passage of time. At night, soft light emanates from the petals, casting beautiful shadows on the green wall. The green wall uses the hardy climbing fig, which can withstand natural conditions. I strove to create a piece that expresses the more than a century-long history of Nishitetsu, a railroad company with deep roots in this area, as well as the future of Tenjin, that would make ONE FUKUOKA BLDG. a new landmark of Fukuoka.

The project art piece Pixel Tree that I created for this location will be installed at ONE FUKUOKA BLDG., Building, which may potentially serve as landmark of central Fukuoka. This is an entirely new type of art with no precursors or prototypes, developed from an idea I have long fostered and expanded upon for this specific location. Seeing an idea take physical form for the first time is a dream come true for me. I am very much looking forward to its completion. This work stems from a variety of themes. It involves our relationship with nature, our connection to technology, and innovation. I am extremely excited to embark on this new adventure together with everyone.