Jonatan Hiroki Bando

When I stood inside the Art Vancouver venue, there was a quiet tension deep in my chest. It was a major exhibition held once a year. One of the largest art exhibitions in Vancouver. For this day, I had spent a lot of time and money preparing. I selected the works, framed them, thought carefully about how my booth would look, and imagined the exhibition over and over again. Still, before it began, what I felt was not only excitement. Will people really stop and look at my work? Will anything...

The other day, I had a strange dream. I fought with my mom, and before we could make up, she was gone. When I woke up, I was crying. I think it’s because I touched a piece of regret that’s been sitting inside me for a long time. When my sister got married, our whole family went to the U.S. She invited all of us, and we even went to Disneyland together. It was the first and last family trip since we moved to Japan. I wasn’t the only one excited. Looking back, I think my mom felt the same. She...

I am always thinking about the nature of art, its meaning, and what expression truly is. So that the paintings I create do not become mere decoration.So that they do not end as something that simply fills a wall. At the same time, I have never wanted to confine the emotions of those who look at my work. By saying, “This is what it means,” I fear I might take away the meaning that belongs only to them. And so, until now, I have rarely spoken about my art. But today, I would like to share just...