SALOTEZUMO
PEOPLEText: Yurie Hatano
12 winning works for SHIFT 2009 CALENDAR was finally announced. This month’s SHIFT cover features 2 creators from those selected artists. The one for the first half of October is a Tokyo based young artist Salotezumo who shows playful and strong graphic works. We interviewed him about his creative activity.
Please tell us about yourself and background.
Hello, nice to meet you, I am Salotezumo. I was born in 1985 and currently living in Tokyo. My creative activity is around my artworks, and other design works centered on them.
Where did the name “Salotezumo” come from?
Salotezumo is the word that one day fell from the sky. I thought it was the word to use as my artist name on developing my activities because it was amazingly impressive and also there was a crossover with my ideal form of expression in its sensuous appeal although the word itself had no particular meaning.
Could you tell us about your past and recent projects?
I’ve been making my works since my college days. Recently, my works could be valued at competitions by BEAMS T and STUDIO VOICE ONLINE.
We find a consistent unique character in your works. Could you tell us your design concept?
There is a general idea that a face has eyes, nose and mouth. This is a symbolic existence coming from the idea to relieve the restraining sense by making a hole on it.
What made you enter the SHIFT Calendar Competition? Could you tell us about the work you submitted?
I’ve been feeling this is an interesting site featuring many creative things. I wanted to be included in it and thus submitted my works this time. I created the submission work freely with the pleasure as in the theme of the competition.
Your works could be in animation. Are you working for movies as well? Do you have any other medium you are interested in?
Currently, I’m not doing animation works, but it is the field that I am really interested in, and I would definitely like to work on it from now. I would also like to relate with many other mediums centering on my expression, including apparel project, advertisement, installation, etc.
Do you have any creators you are influenced by?
I think I am influenced by many creators regardless genres, but actually it’s not only creators, but all other people and things in this world.
How do you spend holidays?
There are many things to do, but recently I like to go around by my bicycle.
What is the concept of SHIFT cover?
It’s SHIFT.
Could you tell us about the future plan?
In addition to develop my artwork, I would like to communicate with various people and things, including the participation in some design work projects and collaboration with others, while discovering myself.
Please leave your message to SHIFT readers.
I think it will be great if I can meet new people in this occasion. Please send me a message if you feel something in my works.
Text: Yurie Hatano