I first met Salto Kawaguchi 7 years ago in Bologna at a language school, where we were both going through an intense Italian course. Despite our language barriers at the time, I understood that she was a deeply creative, intelligent, and dreamy person, with an incredible sense of humour. We became friends, studying together, spending evenings together, and finding any way we could to communicate our hopes and dreams. I reached out to her to interview her, because her story of travelling the world and finding pieces of herself in different places in the world is such an act of bravery, that I think we can all take inspiration from. But now, I won’t give out any more spoilers. Please enjoy this conversation, and get the chance to admire her work.
At what age did you start painting and why?
I started painting seriously when I was a student at art college at the age of 20. Before that, I took an art course and I often drew illustrations as a hobby, even on notebooks for the school and new paper maybe as practice.
I loved the moment and the feeling of filling white paper with any colours or brush lines, and creating a new world there.
You were born in Japan, then moved to Italy to study painting, and now you’re in Norway. How have these different places inspired your art? And why did you choose these specific places?
The reason I chose Italy was because I used the egg tempera technique which is famous there. I believed I could discover new insights.
While in Italy, I strongly identified myself as a Japanese. I experienced feelings of discrimination and loneliness, but at the same time I came to see it as a special strength.
I should incorporate something Japanese into my art. I started mixing Japanese techniques, tools and materials with the European ones which I am already used to. This combination creates a rare and distinctive expression for both European and Japanese while they feel naturally comfortable with it, because of the material related to their home countries. This is still the method of creating my art.
The reason why I came to Norway is I wanted to go to see the grandness of nature. My main themes revolve around nature. During my stay in Norway, I realised that the “nature” I nurtured in my mind was limited…. I didn’t know how enormous, strong, dangerous, various and beautiful nature could be. This realisation expanded my perspective on the canvas, now it is so much wider and there are more objects and elements on canvas than before coming to Norway.
Where do you find inspiration for your various paintings?
Basically in the nature. I try to have conversations with her.
Which artist, living or dead, inspires you the most, and why?
Tohaku Hasegawa.
I learned from his work “when you feel deeply and strongly something, that emotions can make an amazing work. “
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Umm…. I have no idea honestly. But I will try working my best and that will be a big step for my future. Believing.
If you weren’t a painter, what would you be doing in life?
Seriously I wanted to become a detective or a Clinical Laboratory Technician.
Which project required the most effort for you?
All projects need effort. It will be a different answer but I feel so tense every time I talk about money with customers. I am not good at it, haha.
Have you ever collaborated with an artist? If not, who would you like to collaborate with?
I have collaborated with some artists including different genres. Such as fashion designers and a coffee company.
I prefer to collaborate with someone who does different things from me. I feel like I can gain some new insights from them.
What’s next for you? Where would you like to live, and what would you like to work on?
Before I lived in a place for a short period such as in Italy, my hometown and Tokyo, while selling my art. Unfortunately It is not so easy for me to continue getting attention from the customers and for them to continue buying my paintings as well.
I believe I will probably keep living in Norway. I have an opportunity here where I can reach new patrons with my works more frequently.
By focusing on what’s in front of me, there is the hope that I’ll keep reaching new people with new perspectives.
