What's the meaning of the components (parts) of the artwork?

Actually, I didn't get any details from tupera tupera about the meaning of the parts. I asked them to include various elements related to cells, and I could tell they picked them from different materials I sent to them.

The parts that we specifically asked them to include are soap bubbles, which remind me of the "membrane" of the lipid membrane, and various doors to show substances going in and out of the "cell." Specifically, I was very particular about the facial expression of the character in the middle. To avoid presenting a fixed point of view, it shouldn't show emotions, such as happiness (e.g., laughter), sadness, anger, or surprise. It's kind of like a Noh mask. I wanted expressions to look different depending on the viewer and the timing of the view.

I also think it's unimportant what each part strictly means. I don't want to tell people about the cells themselves, and it's more important to make them feel familiar with the "cell." For example, if a scientist sees a soap bubble, they'll probably realize it's a lipid membrane, but if a little child sees it, they likely feel it's a beautiful soap bubble or that it looks fun. More to the point, they can simply say, "I'm kind of curious about this picture." That's what's allowed in this work. Of course, the artist and we have a certain degree of assumed imagery and meaning for each part, but there's no need to explain this to the viewer. In fact, it would be better if the viewer didn't understand it. It's entirely up to the viewer's interpretation. tupera tupera also said they want to hear new ways of seeing and thinking. For us, that was perfect.

However, when we were developing the concept, we were as careful as possible to ensure that the scientific findings we incorporated into the artwork were correct, and to avoid expressions that presented socially biased content. We were very conscious about the neutrality of the expressed message.

The drawn question mark, "?," is rather interesting. Is it expressing something like an unknown cell?

It's my favorite part of the piece. It's completely open to interpretation, but for me, it brings to mind questions like, "How much is there about cells and life that we still don't know yet?" or "What do I want science to be about?"

This is the part I really want everyone to think about: The item in the middle character's hand and the ground in the round room-like area where the character is standing are the same color. If you notice this, you might wonder what it means, right?

This work is on display in the exhibition area on the first floor of CiRA's first research building, and we're looking for comments, so if you want, I'd encourage everyone to tell us what they think.

Was the piece completed once the original artwork was created by tupera tupera?

No, that wasn't the case. The final artwork wasn't the original, as tupera tupera created the original using the papier-mâché method, but it was only completed after scanning, coloring, applying other adjustments by the designer, and printing. This time, special printing techniques were used in the printing process. After scanning and editing, we used a UV printing technique called "KASANE GRAFICA" by SunM Color Co. Ltd. Until now, it was only possible to print on a flat surface, but by adding layers of ink, it's possible to express unevenness, etc., three-dimensionally — just like an original drawing.

How did you find this printing technology?

Dr. Minari came across this printing technology (laughs). He said, "Kasama, there's a company that produces such wonderful printed materials. Let's do special printing." I immediately requested a tour of the printing factory the next day. Dr. Minari is vastly knowledgeable in art, so he was very concerned that printing wouldn't fully capture the quality of the original artwork. Specifically, tupera tupera's works are created using a papier-mâché technique with a three-dimensional feel, so he wondered whether there was some way to convey the depth and even the texture of the paper, such as smoothness and roughness. I was glad when I discovered there was a technique to convey this.

Most people think of the finished work as an original drawing itself. They were surprised when I told them the artwork was a print. Besides, the size of the artwork is different from the original. The original is about one size smaller than the printed work.

What did you think when the piece was completed?

After working on this artwork, I realized why there are so few art pieces like this in the world. It takes lots of work. We planned it, the artists expressed themselves, the researchers checked for mistakes in expression, the designers and printers provided the final product, the advisors guided us on the whole project, and many other people helped us, so it was hard to finish it within our budget and time frame.

Also, when you look at art about science and technology from overseas, much of it is surprising, like a warning about something or the expression is a bit scary. But our work emphasizes neutrality, and our message is, "Let's all think about it together." There are very few works like ours. Dr. Minari and I initially felt it would be great to have more gentle artwork about science and technology. I also agreed and started working on the project, but it was challenging to create a neutral work that we could all think about together. Therefore, I asked experts to look at it from various perspectives.

Dr. Minari has a desire for this work to be timeless. Picasso's Guernica, Leo Lionni's Swimmy, and other outstanding works of art have transcended time and place and have provided many people with an opportunity to think, so I hope that outstanding works of art will be created in the field of life sciences. With this project, I think you're exploring the possibilities of such art.

We understand you once held a workshop with this artwork. What was the response?

Many people interested in art and design came to the workshop. Dr. Minari said, "First, let's have people knowledgeable in design take a look." We can imagine what most scientists can see in this work, but for those who aren't so familiar with science, we wanted to know what they thought. We also invited researchers and others involved in the production of the artwork to the workshop.

I was nervous because it was the first time I'd presented my work, but everyone looked at it with lots of interest and provided all kinds of opinions. It was interesting to receive many unexpected comments, such as "I saw this part this way" or "I felt this part had this meaning." We were pleasantly surprised by the different ways everyone was seeing the artwork.

I was thrilled to hear people saying, "It's good that you use painting as a tool to think." Other comments included, "It was interesting to connect art and science. I think it can be a tool for both adults and children to think" and "I could hear and feel the opinions of those around me" —comments that we were aiming for, so I was excited to hear them. We were glad that they could actually feel the awareness that comes from sharing with others. Some people also mentioned, "I thought it was a big issue that there are a lot of pictures abroad that make people feel closer to science, but not as many in Japan" and "It’s meaningful that a famous artist like tupera tupera made a work on the theme of science this time."

Nonetheless, it was tough to encourage everyone to share their opinions and deepen their thinking as they looked at the pictures. It takes some training to speak up and exchange opinions, but opportunities to receive such training are rare in Japan. On the other hand, I found some issues I need to work on in the future, so I think it was worthwhile to take on this challenge. It was also a wonderful opportunity for me to think about how I should coordinate and how I can get various opinions. I wish there were more opportunities like this in Japan, not only for science, but also for other subjects, such as in schools, where people can speak freely, exchange information, and think about social issues as if they were their own. I believe such places and attempts are necessary.

Finally, how would you like people to view this artwork in the future?

I'd be happy if people could view it freely. I hope this work can be experienced as a kind of Japanese dry garden, which expresses mountains and water using only sand and stones, without wood or water. I like the idea that these stones not only represent mountains, but also paradise. When you look at an actual mountain, not much else comes to mind. I think there are messages and things you can see and feel by daring to express them in stone. So, by looking at this work through art, instead of looking at cells themselves, you can get a better sense of what it is. It would be good if people could think about various things while looking at the work, such as "It's kind of beautiful" or "The way it looks changes depending on the day." Above all, I want people to become familiar with art and cells.

I also hope more people will come into contact with this work and think more about cells. It would be a waste to just have this artwork on display, so I'd like to share our thoughts and impressions with people through workshops and other activities using this painting. In addition to workshops, I'm very interested in what else we should do and how to use art to create dialogue in society for the future.