Organising emotions through art

Ryo Koike (26) moved from Japan to Berlin to feel fully himself. Now he is expressing emotions through paintings.

«I just feel comfortable living here», says Ryo about being in Berlin, the city he has taking up residence in for the last two years. He first moved from his home Town Aichi to Tokyo, but did not feel good about it; «It had always been an attractive thought to me to move to the big city of Tokyo; a lot of things happening and every day exciting. However, to me, I felt an emptiness living there. I was not being honest with myself. I could not feel comfortable, and I soon got tired of it. In Berlin I can be fully myself»

Why did you start drawing and painting?

«I have been drawing as one of my hobbies since I was child. But I never showed it to someone in public before moving here».

Why?

«Because I was lacking self confidence. Since two years ago when I moved to Berlin, I’ve started to show my art works to people. I can say it is organising my emotions. Nobody is able to see an emotion, but I would like to show the feelings the way you show pictures».

What inspires your work?

«I think inspiration comes from the aesthetic sense I get when I see certain things. For me it is often an insect or a church. I just feel something when I see it».

How would you describe you mental state when you are at your best as an artist?

«All feelings can have the same strength to me, from when I have fun to when I am experiencing sad things. Being my honest self is my best mental state. That makes the most powerful expressions».

What is your biggest dream?

«I don’t want to say I’m an artist. That’s why I want to be a person who are called artist by someone else»

What’s your favourite art work?

«A painting I made called «Confidence». It has a background story. I painted it after a modelling shoot I did, and I just felt bad because there was no confidence and just anxiousness within me. I had a pathetic feeling when the pictures from the shoot got published. It is still a bad memory but I like the painting because I can still see the exact feeling I had back then». 

What makes a good artist?

«Don’t compare with others. I know there are many good artists better than me, and it is easy to get overwhelmed by technology, creativity all things happening. But I do not compare with all I see. I’m the only person who can be me. It is important to show myself».

"The Corner" (2018) by Ryo Koike. 

"Confidence" (2018) by Ryo Koike.

See Ryo’s art work at @ryokoike23
Every now and then he is also exhibiting his art works in Berlin.