Interview with Mugi Takei

1)So, can you tell me a little about yourself? Full name, some background info, etc?

1)My name is Mugi Takei. I am a US born Japanese artist. I studied painting and print making in Boston, US.

2) How did you get started making art?

2)I was very much into craft making as a little child. Since I didn't like any outside activities, I stayed home with my mom and spent time doing stuff like cutting paper into shapes and making clay animals. That's how I started making little things, but they were not artistic or anything. I began to draw because everyone else in my family drew. I continued drawing and craft making through my childhood. That was like pretty much what I did for fun. Oh, I guess I read too. I didn't like TV or video games very much. I occasionally made paintings for school projects or something. I think I was more into craft making than drawing/painting back then. I made a bunch of useless cute little things and gave them away to my grandmas and school friends. During my adolescence, I sort of stopped doing all that stuff because I got too busy being a teenager. Then I started again when I went to Art school in Boston.

3)How would you describe your art?

3)To me it's sort of like journal keeping or collecting little fragments of everyday life.


4)Where do you get the inspiration for your art?

4)I get inspired by things and people I see, other artists and their pieces of art work, movies, books and magazine photos.
I find resources mostly in other people, not so much in myself.


5) What are you working on now?

5)I am working on a new set of oil paintings.

6)Are there some web sites that you would like to recommend? Artists, art communities, xxx,...!?

6)Yes, here they are
http://www.terrisaul.com/

http://brh.menglef.org/

http://www.humanfive.com/


7) What programs / materials / tools do you use to create your pieces?

7)I used a lot of different things. Lately I've been using paper, canvas, wood, pencils, colored pencils, watercolor, oil paints, ink, gouache, glue, pens.


8) What advice would you give to younger up and coming artist?

8)(I am a young and up and coming artist myself!) Oh, I don't know. It's hard to say because everybody is different.
Ok, my advice would be "don't stop" and maybe "stay beautiful inside".


9) What is your personal definition of life and art and everything else in between?

9)I don't know how to answer this question. I guess life is something ubiquitous and precious.

10) Do you think that art is a universal language - transcending all the different languages, cultures and religions etc?

10)Yes, mostly and I very much wish it to be.


11) What are your artistic influences?

11)Religious icons, fashion, cave paintings, Falk art, modern and contemporary master pieces, actors&actresses, models, National Geographic,
photos, movies, nature drawings, expressionists, dancers, sea creatures, television, plants, friends, my mom, school books, Japanese porn photos, porn illustration, some comics, outsider art, others.



12) How are the reactions on your work in general?

12)Personal, cute, weird, hilarious, the titles are good, sensitive, intimate, childish, scary, disturbing, pornographic, pretty, beautiful and ugly.



13) Do you have many connections in the underground scene?

13)I don't believe I do.


14) Tell us about a recent dream you had.

14)I don't remember my most recent dream. The most amazing dream I had recently is
the one about David Bowie and I living together. He made me an elegant breakfast. I was so sad to find out he was not next to me when I woke up.


15) What is freedom to you as an artist?

15)Freedom of expression?? which allows me to be unlimitedly shameless?


16) Are there any particular works you've done that stand out as your favorites?

16)I like my large line drawings of seaweeds from 2001. I lightly watercolored them.

17) Last Books you read?

17)"Tropic of Capricorn"
"On The Road"


18) Last records you bought?

18)"Best Hits of P. Ramlee" (2 years ago!)


19) Who are your favorite artists & Your favorite galleries?

19)I like Terri Saul, Keiko Higuchi, Francesco Clemente, Marlene Dumas, Martin Macmaurray, Picasso, Matisse,
David Hockney, Frida Kahlo, Kees Van Dongen, Egon Schiele, Bonnard, Munch and more...
My favorite gallery is Bucheon gallery in SF, California.


20)Your contacts….E-mail…Links

20)www.mugiko.com