We spoke with ink painting illustrator Yoichi Wakui, whose works have been serialized in the long-established specialist magazine "Kendo Nippon," first published in 1976, for over 10 years. Wakui Yoichi 1970 | Born in Tokyo 1996 | Graduated from Setsu Mode Seminar. Started working as an illustrator 1998 | Started solo exhibitions and exhibitions. Using ink and brush, he expresses people, animals, machines and other subjects. He works in a variety of media, including advertising and publishing 2002 | Exhibited in NY (Westwood Gallery/Japan Art Alliance) <Homepage> http://ekakisalue.blush.jp ・Awards: 49th Catalogue Poster Exhibition, Japan Printing Industry Federation Chairman's Award (Hitachi Company Profile Brochure) In addition, in conjunction with this interview project, we will be selling the 2019 calendar (April 2019 - March 2020) with ink paintings. The ink paintings in the calendar are actually those that have been published in the table of contents and preview pages of past "Kendo Nippon" magazines. To purchase the product,CLICK HERE! -Please tell us how you started painting sumi-e. I originally started out with sketches. From there, I wondered how to make things that are usually drawn with pencils cooler and more valuable, and arrived at drawing with ink. Initially, I also worked on colored watercolors. I believe that ink painting allows me to do things without being based on the criteria of how to be accepted by the market or how to get commissioned work, and I have been drawing ink paintings for 22 years since then. January 2017: Demonstration and sale of ink paintings at the Fujisawa Shuhei Exhibition at Mitsukoshi Department Store -Please tell us what led you to serialize your ink paintings in Kendo Nippon. I was originally commissioned to work on a book on ancient martial arts published by Takarajimasha, which is where they got to know me and asked me to do some sumi-e illustrations for Kendo Nippon. This was in 2005, so I've been serializing it for over 10 years. I wanted to compile my past works into a calendar and share it with all the kendo fans out there, which is how I came up with this project. 2019 Sumi-e Kendo Calendar Cover Product PurchaseCLICK HERE! -Please tell us about the appeal of sumi-e. I think people look cool when they're moving. I think that using ink and a brush can create momentum and explain movement. It's common to paint still objects, but if the subject is moving, you can't do that. So I decided to try drawing something in motion. In kendo and kobudo, the body's center of gravity and center line are very precise. The center of gravity is on the left hind leg, and weight shifts from there. I keep these basic rules in mind, and then I add more ingenuity to express them. Ultimately, it's important to make the painting look visually beautiful. I think that's what makes it interesting, and I'd like to continue challenging myself in the future. Interview: BUSHIZO Kudo