【無二の彩りで描き上げるアイデンティティ】
世界中のタトゥーコンベンションを飛び回り、一年のおよそ半分を海外で過ごす信州 彫英氏。現在はコロナ禍ゆえ、国内の拠点である長野にて針とインクと向き合う日々を送るが、台湾にも自身のスタジオを持つなど、その活動は極めて国際的だ。迫力のある構図と鮮麗な色遣いからなる独創的な作風に惚れ込み、氏の元を訪れるクライアントは国の内外を問わず後を絶たない。
Shinshu Horiei is a staple at tattoo conventions all over the world, and spends his time tattooing outside of Japan half of every year. With the onset of Covid-19, he has been spending the majority of his time at his studio in Nagano, but he also has a second studio in Taiwan and usually his activities are very international. Horiei has solidified himself in the tattoo world and his influence is far-reaching. He is touted for his bold composition and vivid coloring accented by his study of Japanese motifs.
優れた画力から美術の心得が下地にあると思われる人もいるだろうが、彫英氏が意識して絵を描き始めたのは20代の半ば。彫り師になろうと志してからのことだ。当時は今のように確立されたスタイルを持たず、オーダーされるがままに洋彫りから和彫り、トライバルまで何でも手掛けたと言う。
食うにも困る駆け出しではあったが、安易なコピーだけは頑なにせず、どんな図柄であろうと必ず自身で描き直してクライアントに提案する矜持を捨てることはなかった。そうした実直な姿勢が今に繋がっているのは明白だろう。
When gazing upon his artistry it would be easy to assume that he has been formally trained in an academic setting. Truth be told, he is a self trained artist who started drawing in his mid-20s after he decided to become a tattoo artist. At first he did not have a specific style and was open to original ideas and tattooed a variety of Japanese, American and Tribal style designs.
In the first few years of being a struggling tattoo artist, he needed money but also refused to copy others work. He was adamant on doing original line drawings for client ideas. His dedication to his work and unwavering attitude eventually led him to his current reputation and international success.
彫英氏が今の作風を構築するに至る大きな転機が訪れたのは2010年。群馬で行われたタトゥーコンベンションに参加した際、UEO TATTOOで知られるイタリア人アーティストのマッティア・リボルタ氏と親しくなり、翌年に開催されるアムステルダムのコンベンションに誘われたのだ。海外の動静に関心のあった彫英氏は一も二もなくその言葉に乗り、勢い込んでオランダへと向かった。
Horiei first started to delve into his own style in 2010, while participating in a tattoo convention in Gunma prefecture. At the event he met an Italian artist named Matt Rivolta a.k.a Ueo, who invited him to attend The International Amsterdam Tattoo Convention held the following year. Horiei was always interested in what was happening in the foreign tattoo scene, so he took Ueo up on his offer and excitedly headed to The Netherlands.
初めての国際コンベンションでは自身の力量不足を痛感させられ、失意の底に沈む結果となったが、一方でその後の彫英氏を形成する核を手に入れることもできた。それは“日本人であるというアイデンティティ”だ。
至極当たり前ゆえ、ともすれば忘れてしまいがちなこの事実に気付けたことで、氏は新たなステージへと進むことができたと言う。花鳥風月を始めとする和のモチーフに、様々なタトゥーに触れることで培ってきた多面的な感性を落とし込む。今や世界中にファンを持つ、独自のスタイルを構築する契機となったのである。
This event was where it became clear that he had to up his game in order to compete on the international scene. It was a cause of great despair in Horiei because he felt he was lacking compared to other artist. He realized that his “identity” as being Japanese was the basis for his popularity at the convention, and not especially his ability as an artist.
He wanted to forge an image as a Japanese tattoo artist, using traditional Japanese motifs in a non-traditional way. This eye opening experience was the birth of an original style that is praise by fans all over the world.
先述のマッティア氏とは現在でも親交が続いており、彫英氏は彼から多大な影響を受けたと語る。特にマッティア氏の自由な発想から生み出される色遣いの機微には、目から鱗が落ちたそうだ。不快に感じる組み合わせでさえなければ、現実に在り得る彩りかどうかは問題ではない。例えば物体の影を黒ではなくピンクで塗ったとしても、それは正解や不正解といった枠組みから解き放たれた、ひとつの表現なのだ。
彫英氏の個性的な色遣いは、このコンセプトに基づいている。リアリティという呪縛から離れ、一見アンバランスな差し色を配することで、逆に生命力に溢れた活き活きとした彩りを実現しているのだ。氏の作品を無二のものたらしめている重要なファクターだと言えるだろう。
Horiei has continued his friendship with Mattia, and says he continues to be greatly influenced by him and his work. Mattia is famous for his delicate use of color which is incorporated in his free concepts. In seeing this for the first time, Horiei’s eyes were opened and he continues to incorporate elements of that beauty into his own work. He mentioned that as long as the combination of colors is pleasing to the eye, it doesn’t matter that the colors don’t exist in reality. He gives the example of using pink to shade objects instead of black, to hammer home this point.
He creates vivid color harmonies, which are seemingly full of life by breaking the concepts of reality. His work is sometimes so bold, and the colors so dramatically different from reality, that it turns heads. This original take on color makes his work one of a kind.
自身のスタイルを確立してからも、彫英氏はその表現方法の研鑽に余念がない。芯となる骨格はそのままに、そこに肉付けする形で新たな手法にチャレンジし続けている。ただ漫然と眺めていると気付かないような些細な変化であったりもするが、それが仕上がりを大きく左右しているのだ。
一度、築き上げたものを変えていくのは難しい。しかし氏は、より良い作品とするために、変化を恐れぬ強さを持っている。その留まるところを知らぬ向上心と制作意欲に刮目されたし。
Even with his unique and sharpened style, Horiei has never stopped trying to improve his artistic expression. He says that he keeps the core concept similar but continually challenges new approaches. The subtlety of his variation may not be easy to notice, but the results are present in the ever improving art and design that Horiei puts down on paper and especially on skin.
Altering what works, is a difficult venture for an artist, but Horiei has strength and confidence in his current work, and the ambition to continue to grow in art and as an artist.
7TH HEAVEN ARTWORK STUDIO
住所: 長野県松本市新村2927-2 新東ビル2F東
営業時間: 12:00〜22:00（不定休）
電話: 0263-48-2274
Eメール: horiei78tattoo@gmail.com
※見学のみの来店も可能だが、打ち合わせ等を希望の場合は事前連絡が必要。
Address: 2927-2-2F Niimura, Matsumoto city, Nagano
Business Hour: 12:00〜22:00 (Irregular Holidays)
Phone: (+81)263-48-2274
Email: horiei78tattoo@gmail.com
※Studio access and art viewing is available but advanced booking required for a meeting etc.