When did you first start thinking of "owning" a piece of art?

The first time I bought someone's work was when I was 22 years old. It was a small drawing by TACO, who allowed me to do a group exhibition with him at the time. I found that a good work does speak to you regardless of its size. 

What made you want to purchase a piece of art?

When my urge to own one matches the price I can afford. That being said, the very first decision wasn’t easy and it took me plenty of time to decide which and whether to actually buy one.  Once I experienced the joy of owning a one-of-a-kind piece of art, the bar for purchasing artworks lowered to a great extent.

How do you enjoy the art you own?

I display most works somewhere visible. I live in a rented apartment, but small damages with push pins are acceptable so I either hang them or stick them up on the wall, or place them in between the books and bookshelves.

Do you think there’s a difference between seeing an exhibition or art in real life and online?

When I go to an exhibition, my attention goes probably about 50/50 to the artworks themselves and the exhibition space. I'm interested in the arrangement of the works and the use of space, so it's easier for me to feel the colors of each gallery by actually seeing them. I think the exhibitions you see online are different, and each has its own merits and role to play. I find out about exhibitions through SNS almost 98% of the time, but I've never tried to buy artworks online. I've never even bought clothes online, so I guess I'm just one of those people who can't buy things without seeing them in real life. On the other hand, for people who shop online a lot, buying clothes and buying art  could be  similar experiences. I think it's good that buying art is becoming a casual thing.

What kind of artwork would you like to own in the future?

While browsing social media, I often find myself thinking like I want this artist's painting. I check Instagram often as it’s a convenient platform to find foreign artists. There are a lot of art fanatics on Twitter, and through their likes and retweets, I get to find out about artists and exhibitions that I didn't know existed. There are many artists  who I am interested in owning their artworks, but the one that just came  to mind now is Takero Kano's paintings. Munehiro Yoshimura’s also. I would also like Mameikeda's landscape paintings. I tend to be attracted to oil paintings and three-dimensional works. If I were ZOZO’s founder Maezawa, I would like to buy a painting by Yuichi Yokoyama and, if possible, Ellsworth Kelly’s as well.  It would be nice to live in a big house one day and display  big artworks there.

What does “Owned Art (the art you own)” mean to you?

If having a good car or a good watch was a status thing during the bubble, then maybe my art collection means the same to me. . When you buy one piece of art, it's like a small confidence builds up. I feel that what you choose and spend money on today is like a measure of your aesthetics, rather than your wealth or flashy status.

Do you have any advice for people considering buying art?

I think you should take the plunge and buy one first (within your budget of course.) ) Whether it's cheap or expensive, knowing that you're the only one to own a one-of-a-kind art made by someone else will make you feel proud, and you'll start to feel confident about it.