Addicted to Excitement - Art Historian Dr. Ruth Polleit Riechert in a Conversation with Ryo Kinoshita

Ryo Kinoshita was born 1985 in Nagasaki, Japan. From 2013 – 2018 he studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf with Prof. Tal R, Prof. Enrico David und Prof. Tomma Abts. In spring 2018, he graduated as master student of Tomma Abts from Kunstakademie Düsseldorf. Ryo Kinoshita lives and workes in Düsseldorf. 

Ryo Kinoshita, what prompted you to work artistically, to becoming an artist?

I am simply addicted to excitement. During the process, I used to feel my heart pounding violently and my hand shaking while holding a brush. I could feel myself and became aware of what fascinated me.

You have received a DAAD scholarship for Germany. How did you get it?

Before I moved to Düsseldorf, I looked at a few tours through various academies and universities. I found the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf very interesting. There were really good works and really bad works during the tour of Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.

In my opinion, mediocre works always remain mediocre. But very bad works can sometimes become a good neighbour to really good works. That's why I wanted to study at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf.

What inspires you, where do you find your inspiration or ideas? What influence did your teachers have, especially Tomma Abts?

Lines, colours, materials, shapes, symbols, memory, history, religions, everything inspires me.

At the academy, I first studied with Tal R, then with Enrico David and at the end with Tomma Abts. Everyone had a good influence and created beautiful memories. It was a simply invaluable time. Not just talking to the professors about art, but talking to them privately, dining together, knowing how they live. The time with them has influenced me. And so did my fellow students in class. But I’d prefer to keep that under wraps rather than talking too much about it.

Which types of implementation, techniques, and materials do you prefer?

I prefer working with materials. When I was a kid, I always played in the woods. I still feel that sensation with my hands, I think.

What do you want to express or provoke with your art?

I am interested in how and where painting happens. What happens on the canvas, what happens through the gap in the canvas, what's on the back, what space is behind the screen, how I set boundaries in painting.

Thank you for the interview, Ryo!

See and buy selected pieces by Ryo Kinoshita at www.rpr-art.com.

Interview: Ruth Polleit Riechert
Production: Christoph Blank
Photos: Jennifer Rumbach