One of the main reason for the move to Tokyo is to prepare for my solo show at Nanzuka Institute, opening July 11th. This show came about as I was struggling with the anxiogenic pressure of everyday negative news. Global warming, wars, repressive politics, etc.. I wanted to escape and dive back into passions of mine that adulthood had tried to repress, in vain: role playing games, comic books, toys and video games. All things anchored in imagination. Here in Tokyo, it seems like fantasy is everywhere and has invaded the reality. There are printed characters on every street corner, people dress in costumes, there are tons of toys and arcades are legion.

　To escapists, a red carpet seems to have been offered. And I find that immensely inspiring. So I started painting anything that triggered my attention. From colorful stickers to giant drawn portraits and strange toys. Using the same mediums as I normally would, I wanted reality and fiction to blend in as much as possible in a rich series of painted observations.

　The show will follow my family as it progresses in its daily venture into fiction, from observation to “taking arms” and using creation to craft painted artefacts and costumes. Through metaphorical rooms populated by monsters and creatures, the viewer will take part in a playful visit trying to emulate the excitement felt when playing board games.

　The show has also been the perfect opportunity for me to create toys and associated goodies that I would normally find at Nakano Broadway or Akihabara. My only regret is that I won’t have enough time to paint the full extent of my visual excitement since arriving in Tokyo. It’s positively too much!