-It's been a year since you have started working at PIGMENT. What attracts you the most?

The variety of 4500 colors is the most attractive thing about this place. There is no other place than here where you can see this many colors. We offer unique art materials and pigments that you cannot find at other stores, so I'm sure you can get a new inspiration from PIGMENT. Also, what is fascinating is that all the staff are artists. We can advice the techniques and offer the workshop from the view of creators.

-What kind of artworks do you usually create?

I usually use Japanese painting materials, such as mineral pigments and animal glue to create the scenery of Europe as a motif. I put a story and nostalgic image from a variety of scenery I encountered while I traveled around the world. Talking about the mineral pigments, people tend to have the image of traditional Japanese painting. However, my style is quite opposite from that taste.

《ALLEY》P30, 2018

Kouchi hemp paper, animal glue, suihi pigment, natural mineral pigment

-Do you have any knowledge or skills you acquired from working at PIGMENT TOKYO as an artist?

Regardless of domestic or foreign, a variety of people from different industries visit our store. I learned a lot about the materials by listening and explaining to them . Along with that, I could break my preconceived ideas of the art materials usage. Everyday is a new discovery.

-Do you have anything that you would like to achieve in PIGMENT TOKYO?

It's been 5 years already since the opening. However, there are still a lot of people who do not know about us, and some people mistook our store for a showroom so they are hesitant to visit. We offer various contents such as selling unique products and holding workshops. I would like to make the store more comfortable so that customers can ask questions freely whenever they have problems with art materials.

-I heard that you have an exhibition this November.

Yes, I'm going to have an exhibition after three years at Art Space Rashinban in Tokyo. Since the place has a wide space, I'm afraid whether my artworks are enough to cover.

Margarita SERIZAWA Solo Exhibition, 2016

At Art Space Rashinban

-Do you have a concept for this exhibition?

The exhibition is mainly about the scenery of Croatia I visited two years ago.
It took a lot of time to put the image into my work since it was my first visit. However, I was able to find new styles through this experience. Please feel free to drop in, I’m looking forward to your visit.

Margarita SERIZAWA

Born in Moscow, Russia. 2009 MFA in Japanese Painting, Kyoto University of Art & Design, Kyoto, Japan. After a variety of jobs in the art field, currently working as an art material expert in PIGMENT TOKYO. She creates paintings using mineral pigments and animal glue on Japanese hemp paper.

Art Materials Expert at PIGMENT TOKYO

Akira Oya

Born in 1989 in Tokyo. Master of Fine Art and Design at Nihon University College of Art.

He also continues his career as a visual artist.

Born in 1989 in Tokyo. Master of Fine Art and Design at Nihon University College of Art.

He also continues his career as a visual artist.