RoamCouch / Ryo Ogawa is a street artist living in Anpachi-cho, Gifu Prefecture. Taking advantage of the street art exhibition held in Norway in 2012, solo exhibitions have been held in various countries.

In 2014, he started the Emotional Bridge Project, a free mural painting project centered around his hometown of Anpachi, Gifu Prefecture. The beautiful and romantic works created by him are highly acclaimed both domestically and internationally every time he releases a new work.

This time at Lifedesigns, we asked Mr. Ogawa how he got started and his thoughts.

▼ Click here for the second part

[Part 2] "The Emotional Bridge Project," a free mural painting project in Anpachi-cho, Gifu Prefecture. Wall art tour by bicycle!

From designer to street artist​
due to illness

"RoamCouch / Ryo Ogawa". Born in Anpachi-cho, Gifu prefecture in 1976. Started artist activities under the name of RoamCouch after being seriously ill. He has participated in group exhibitions around the world, and held his first solo exhibition “A Beautiful Life” in New York in 2014 and his first solo exhibition “Memories” in Japan in 2017. In 2019, he participated in the art event “Pow!wow!Hawaii” on Oahu, Hawaii, and is actively working.

We first asked him about his background.

Ogawa: "I have loved drawing pictures since I was a child, partly due to the influence of manga. After graduating from high school, I joined a design company and worked in advertising design. However, in the world of advertising design, the client's intentions come first. As a professional, I understood this, but I wondered if it was what I really wanted to do. I was troubled by the gap between ideals and reality. It was during this time that I had a physical breakdown and became ill. At one point, I couldn't even walk properly.

At that time, my wife said to me, 'You should try doing what you like.' What do I like? When I thought about this, I realized that drawing was my origin after all. ”

This work was exhibited at the art event "Pow!wow!Hawaii" held in Kakaako, Oahu, Hawaii in February this year.

Ogawa: "At first, in order to get the public's attention, I started posting reproductions of street artists' works and original works on social media. When my paintings were gradually gaining public recognition, I was given the opportunity to exhibit my work at a street art exhibition in Norway. That exhibition led to more and more people calling on me."

"Stencil art" that incorporates the technique of ukiyo-e

−What is your art technique “stencil art”?

Ogawa: "Stencil art is something that everyone is familiar with, and I think Banksy, an anonymous street artist based in England, is famous. Spray on the canvas covered with the paper pattern and draw a picture. However, my technique is a little different from the general technique, and I make use of the technique of ukiyo-e and arrange it in a modern style. ”

All stencils are cut out by hand by Mr. Ogawa. Some are even smaller than 1mm.

Even if you look at it like this, you can see that it is a very detailed work. Amazing!

Ogawa: "The first step is to make a draft on the computer. From there, I create stencils for each colored area. All the stencils are cut by hand, so this process takes the most time.

In the past, stencils were created for the number of colors to be used, but recently, one stencil can be used for each color. Even so, it takes about 20 sheets for a canvas, and over 100 sheets for a large mural. After about a month, the cutouts are made, and then the cutout paper patterns are layered on top of each other, and the color is sprayed on top of them.

At this time, the pattern paper plays the same role as the blueprint, so if you make a mistake when spraying, you will have to start over from scratch. All work requires concentration, so I can't let my guard down. ”

Spain-made spray "montana94" used by Mr. Ogawa. More than 300 types of spray cans are lined up in the atelier. It's amazing that he knows all the colors.

Ogawa: "I'm often asked what kind of message I have, but my work doesn't have a message. I just want people to enjoy it. Regardless of age or gender, people who see the painting think it's nice and like it.

It makes me happy when people who see it feel happy and get well. That's really enough. That's why I aim to draw something that is easy to understand and approachable, rather than difficult. ”