Paint It, Colorful feat. Sebastian MASUDA

Harajuku ‘kawaii’ pioneer Sebastian MASUDA shared his artistic journey, reflecting on three decades of work.
Journalist and scholar Roland KELTS engaged MASUDA-san in conversation exploring the artist’s current activities in the pandemic, reflecting on changes in Harajuku, and discussing the sensation of “kawaii.”
While the wider world often equates MASUDA-san’s candy-colored wonderland with ‘cuteness,’ MASUDA-san reminded us that ‘kawaii’ has expansive nuance, depth, and meaning in our world. The colors of ‘kawaii’ represent the power and joy of youth, serve as reflection of one’s true self and can lead one away from distress toward a vivid and fulfilling life.
Watch the program to trade the grayscale of daily pandemic life for a vibrant spectrum of color.
Q&A with MASUDA-san:
Q: Please discuss equiluminant colors and their effect in your work.
A: I think of the material itself as the paint and create my work. Many modern materials are full of plastics, chemical fibers, and are highly saturated in color, so I enjoy using a wide variety of them.
By using materials such as these in my work, I can try to capture the current moment in which we are alive. Through the heavy use of colors that feel "deep" in the work, I can show rebellion against an orderly society.
Q: Is the tree house a permanent exhibition and can adults go inside?
A: The exhibit is not currently being showcased, but I would really enjoy installing it again. It was designed so that viewers could sit on the swing inside the exhibit and look out the window facing where the Tohoku Tsunami is said to have risen. I created the exhibit so that anyone, child or adult, could enter and enjoy the tree house.
Q: What is the worst thing a critic has said about your art? How did you react or grow from the experience?
A: When I was in my twenties, a critic who saw one of my works said, "This is not art." I was very depressed. Due to such criticism, I left the usual art circuits. After I moved to Harajuku, I gradually regained my confidence and continued to create works my way.
I realized that the critic made his comment because my work was not appealing in his world. However, the outside world is wider. I learned how to find the best place for me to work: a place that feels home to me.
Q: What is the meaning behind the name 6%DokiDoki?
A: I chose the onomatopoeia doki doki, which is used for a racing heart, because I want to bring a little excitement to the world. Also, when I wrote the name for the first time, I thought it was cute because there were so many circles.
Q: I remember seeing Mr. Sebastian on Conan O'Brien's episode in Japan, Harajuku... Was that the store in Harajuku? What did he have to go through in his transformation in that episode?
A: For Conan O’Brien’s transformation, I had a shop boy and a shop girl coordinate to give him a full head-to-toe makeover. Afterwards, I had him try his best to replicate the process with me. I hope you enjoyed this complete change from Conan’s usual style.
And yes, the store was my 6%DOKIDOKI shop in Harajuku. There is only one like it in the world.
Q: How long does it take to create an exhibit?
A: Creating a new piece can take quite a long time. My first exhibition in New York, Colorful Rebellion Seventh Nightmare, took a year to complete after collecting the materials.
When I create a new work, no color is avoided. Even if the overwhelming majority of materials have highly saturated and pastel colors, if you look closely, there are some black and even dull materials included.
However, I had a hard time creating gradations with materials. For example, there are various reds in the piece. So while it is all considered “red”, and there are differences. Since I use these materials and not paints, the process of collecting everything is always challenging.