(JPN)
一時期、絵本にはまっていた時期があった。と言っても子どもの頃ではない。幼稚園の頃は何を読んでいたか覚えていないが、小学生ともなると「少年少女世界文学全集」みたいなのを読んでいたからだ。
絵本に夢中になったのは、確か2000年頃だったと思う。この頃から大阪のギャラリーの企画展に出品するようになり、そこには絵本も展示されていたからだと記憶している。
それで改めて図書館へ行って絵本を読んでみて、感動したのだ。当時そもそもデザインやイラストレーションの仕事を細々としていたので興味があったということもあるが、色んな絵本を食い入るように読んだ。書店の絵本売場にも行って、いいと思った絵本は買ったりもした。
「はらぺこあおむし」の色の美しさに目を奪われ「100万回生きたねこ」のストーリーに涙し、学校で習った「スイミー」を改めて絵本で読み返し…これら定番の絵本はもちろん、子ども向け、大人向け、色々な絵本を読んだ。
なかでも衝撃を受けたのは、福音館書店から発行されている「こどものとも」だった。大竹伸朗さんとか、当時活躍中の画家やイラストレーターを起用していて、斬新で面白かった。
それで先ほど書いた大阪のギャラリーで絵本展があると言うので絵本を作ることにした。私はストーリーは作れないので童話を書いた経験のある人に頼み、私が絵を描いて絵本のデザインをし、製本までした。私にとっては絵なんて1枚描くのも大変なのに十数枚も描いたら恐ろしく時間がかかったが、なんとか出品できた。
その絵本はもう手元にないのが残念である。今は抽象画を描く方が好きなのでいわゆるスタンダードな形の絵本を作る気はないが、紙の本というものは好きなので画集などいくつか作っている。手間はかかるが。
(ENG)
There was a time when I was addicted to picture books. But it was not when I was a child. I don't remember what I was reading when I was in kindergarten, but when I was in elementary school, I was reading something like "The Complete Works of World Literature for Boys and Girls.
It was around 2000, I think, that I became fascinated with picture books. I remember that it was around this time that I began to exhibit my works in a special exhibition at a gallery in Osaka, and picture books were also exhibited there.
So I went to the library and read the picture book again, and I was impressed. I was interested in picture books because I was working in design and illustration at the time, and I read many picture books as if I was devouring them. I even went to the picture book section of bookstores and bought picture books that I thought were good.
I was captivated by the beautiful colors of "The Very Hungry Caterpillar," I was moved to tears by the story of "The Cat That Lived a Million Times," and I reread "Swimmy," which I had learned at school... I read not only these classic picture books but also many other picture books for children and adults.
What struck me the most was "Kodomo no tomo" (Children's Companion) published by Fukuinkan Shoten. It featured Shinro Ohtake and other artists and illustrators who were active at the time, and was innovative and interesting.
I was told that there would be a picture book exhibition at the gallery in Osaka that I mentioned earlier, so I decided to create a picture book. I could not write the story, so I asked someone who had experience writing children's stories to help me draw the pictures, design the book, and even bind it. It took me a long time to draw more than a dozen pictures, but I managed to exhibit the book.
It is a pity that the book is no longer with me. Now I prefer to paint abstract pictures, so I have no intention of making a standard picture book, but I do like paper books, so I have been making some art books. It takes a lot of time and effort.