Protecting the beauty of nature means protecting human life.

-- Looking at Professor Kinutani's career, it is a glorious history marked by numerous awards, from the Yasui Prize to the Order of Culture. Have you always been conscious of "winning awards"?

Kinutani: If I wanted to get out into the world as a painter, I'd be lying if I said I didn't aim for that at all. I've been trying it since I was in middle school. Well, I stretched myself and submitted a large work called 100 series of 3 issues... However, there is a rule at Tokyo University of the Arts that ``undergraduate students are not allowed to apply to external competitions,'' and they are told to thoroughly hone their theory without giving a second glance. I felt a growing sense of impatience. After all, even though I entered the University of the Arts because I wanted to become better at drawing than anyone else, they told me that I shouldn't compete. In the Western painting department that I majored in, we were asked to draw nude women, and if 10 people passed the same entrance exam and were thoroughly trained in the same technique, they would end up with 10 paintings that are almost exactly the same. It's the same thing if you change the model. There are many types of people, such as skinny people and chubby people, but since they are naked human bodies, most of them have the same parts. Since they are drawn using the same technique, there is no difference. For this reason, the artist's individuality and way of perceiving things are important.

-- So it's not about technique, but the artist themselves. The motifs of Japanese painting are flowers, birds, wind, and the moon, in other words, all things in nature. Even in portraits of beautiful women, the models are wearing beautifully patterned kimonos. In terms of color and form, the motifs of Japanese painting are far richer than those of nude women. In that sense, I sometimes envied those who majored in Japanese painting.

Kinutani: By repeating the basics, you can hone your drawing skills as an art university student, but when you do that, when you try to create your own painting, you're stuck with the techniques you've acquired. If you want to become a painter, you will need to make an effort to abandon or destroy your skills. This is not easy. Even if you tried to throw it away, it would be difficult to throw it away because it was something you worked so hard to acquire. However, as I stare at the model while drawing, I find myself wondering, ``What is this person thinking while posing?'' or ``Why did they get this job?'' , I start to think about this and that.

-- Does the act of simply drawing deepen your consideration of humanity and philosophy? Kinutani: It's the same with landscape paintings. For example, the red of Red Fuji is the effect of the iron sand on the mountain's surface. When it rains, the iron sand on the mountain surface flows into rivers and reaches the sea, where it becomes nutrients for marine life, and eventually becomes the essential minerals that make up our bodies. By mindlessly sketching Red Fuji, you can realize that "humans and the earth are directly connected."

-- Does this mean you can understand the relationship between humans and nature? This also applies to philosophy and natural science.

Kinutani: I said that painters are athletes, but they are also philosophers and scientists. You could call it a field of study that looks at a wide range of fields. By accumulating such thoughts and research, you can break out of the shell of the technology you have cultivated. That's what creation is. The first time I won an award was the year I graduated from undergrad and entered graduate school.

-- Speaking of research, you are also known worldwide for your research into classical fresco painting techniques. Did you first encounter fresco painting while studying in Italy?

Kinutani: Well, that's not the reason. I've been interested in it since I was at Tokyo University of the Arts. My theme in graduate school was mural painting. Fresco painting is done by applying plaster to the wall and painting with pigments dissolved in water while the plaster is still damp. Because it is still damp, the water evaporates while the work is being made, and the painting absorbs carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air and is trapped in the limestone, so the colors remain fresh forever. It is an old technique that has been used in cave paintings in Europe since prehistoric times, but in modern terms it has a low environmental impact and was useful for absorbing carbon dioxide. It's thought-provoking to think that people have known about such things since ancient times.

-- That's a very interesting story. At Riviera, we are committed to environmental activities and respect the "good old things" to pass them on to the future, but it also provides clues to solving modern-day problems.

Kinutani: There is great significance in learning from what our predecessors left behind and passing it on to the next generation.

-- That's why, in addition to your active creative activities, Professor Kinutani is also passionate about media activities, establishing awards to nurture the next generation of artists, and holding workshops with children.

Kinutani: When I was young, I thought "death" was a scary thing. But now, I think I understand the words of my boss Kaiun, the former head of Todaiji Temple, who said, ``Going to the Buddha's place is not a sad thing, but rather a joy.'' This is because I have come to believe that the contradictory concepts of life and death are not separate things, but are part of one thing. For example, water and oil, which are said to never mix, exist in the human body. Crime and punishment, war and peace also exist in the same world. When you think about it, life and death are the same. Anything that has a shape will someday break. Life will also end someday. But people's hearts and dreams never die! I incorporate this feeling into all of my works, so I believe that my heart and dreams will continue to be connected to the future through my works. If you think about it that way, death won't be so painful. When I die, I want them to say, "Congratulations on your graduation." Right now, I'm only thinking about having fun.

-- I completely agree with that. Life becomes more brilliant as we meet various people and experience various things, and as we approach the end of our lives, we want to live that kind of life. At Riviera, we also offer a "Celebration of Life" service, where we want to honor the lives of those who have woven their own unique stories. We are prepared to help you with everything from celebrating life's milestones to Riviera's "New Departure" at sea funerals when a deceased person has left the grave.

-- You have created many works that feature Mount Fuji as their subject. Why do you like Mount Fuji?

Kinutani: The Watanabe family also comes from the foothills of Mt. Fuji. I left my hometown of Nara on a night train to enter the University of the Arts. As the train headed east finally approached the Kanto region, the majestic sight of Fuji suddenly expanded into view. For those of us from Western Japan who work in Tokyo, Mt. Fuji is a symbol of the hopes and anxieties of our youth. You could call it emotional support.　

-- When I look at Mount Fuji from the two marinas in the Riviera, I feel glad to be Japanese and feel relieved.

Kinutani: I think that gazing at the beautiful form of Mt. Fuji from the sea side, that is, from a submerged position, has special significance for Japanese people. Because it leads to being conscious of Japan in the world. For this reason, we must ensure that Mt. Fuji remains beautiful from now on.

-- I'll never forget the brief moment when I was with Professor Kinutani on a boat and our faces were bathed in the morning sun and stained red. It was a beautiful moment of nature. The iron sand that makes Mount Fuji look red in the sunlight goes through the food chain and eventually becomes the minerals that make up our bodies. According to Professor Kinutani's philosophy, protecting the beauty of Mount Fuji is directly linked to protecting our own lives. Atelier Kinutani Koji: Workshop for children at Tenku Art Museum Kinutani: Beauty protects life - this is something I want to loudly proclaim as an artist. The Japan Art Academy has a program called the "Children's Dream Art Academy," and I find myself so eager to participate in these initiatives because I want to convey this message to the children who will be the leaders of the future.

-- Riviera feels exactly the same way. It seems like there are many things we can do together in activities aimed at the future of children.

Kinutani: The view of Mt. Fuji that I saw with Riviera Chairman Watanabe from a boat in Sagami Bay is still etched in my mind. That kind of feeling is something I want to pass on to my children in the future.

- please!