Meet Kiyoshi Nakazawa | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kiyoshi Nakazawa and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kiyoshi, what habits do you feel helped you succeed?
Similar to how I learned to train in the sport of Judo I have a habit of repeating movements and thinking about it until I understand how to properly do a throw or draw the hand of a figure without thinking about it. Some things I learned quickly and other lessons were hard learned through thousands of failures. I can be stubborn and that combined with the acceptance that I may have to draw something a hundred or a thousand times before I get it allows me to better understand my learning curve. Trying and failing is a part of success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art process is an attempt to live in the present and enter the unknown at the same time. I don’t always succeed but hey, why not try? My art is a meditation on violence, monsters, sexuality, masculinity, femininity, and the seduction of personal transformation. How did I get to where I am today, you ask? Heck, I don’t even know where today is! Was it easy? judging by all the aches and pains my body has accrued over the years on this journey I would say confidently no but it sure was memorable and I had quite a few laughs. I think that art is a never-ending process so I could not answer if I ever overcame any challenges. I have to re-solve the same challenges every day. Each day might bring a new way to overcome the same problem. I think something I have learned about making art along the way is you have to be OK with yourself when you want to give others joy or make others sad. I want people to know that my art is an attempt to be my authentic self in that moment, unlike anyone else, but at the same time, my story is your story. You don’t just see me in my art but you will also see part of yourself reflected back at yourself.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was coming to LA for the best time ever I would have to get them a good disguise so that the paparazzi doesn’t spill the beans and give away our whereabouts. First I’d take my friend to the Stan Winston School of Special FX and have them apply a lifelike They Live prosthetic makeup job on all my superstar friend’s exposed skin so that we could traffic ourselves through the city incognito. Myself, I would paint my face like Imperator Furiosa from Fury Road to avoid detection. Once we establish our low-profile we could visit Bruce Lee’s star on Hollywood Blvd and then the Bruce Lee sculpture in Chinatown. While in Chinatown we could catch a punk matinee show put on by Save Music In Chinatown and catch The Linda Lindas, Ch3, Mike Watt, The Dils etc… Lunch would be at Yuca’s in Los Feliz. It might be a little difficult for my friend to eat the most delicious tacos and burritos in LA through their They Live mask but it will be worth it! Now that we are properly fuelled we can do a hi-tensity trail run through the Griffith Park hills (yes, the prosthetic makeup is still on). After the 12 mile run we could go train some Judo at Tenri Dojo in Boyle Heights or Hollywood Judo Dojo. For those not familiar with the Olympic competitive sport, Judo is the gentle art of hitting people with the Earth. Then we could spend a night at the Chateau Marmont to appease my friend’s morbid sense of curiosity and desire to lay flowers where King Kong died. The next day would be spent participating in a 24 hour marathon pinball tournament at Revenge Of… in Glassell Park. Maybe there will be a Sonny Chiba triple feature at the Vista Theatre if we are lucky. Who knows? The night is young and anything is possible

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Shoutout to everyone who follows their love into the unknown.

Website: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/luckynakazawa

Instagram: @luckynakazawa

Image Credits
pic of me taken by Derek Kirk Kim