Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
chiho aoshima
Chiho Aoshima, lotus child, 2010, frp lacquer aluminum frame, 11 5/8 x 19 5/8 x 18 1/2 inches
Chiho Aoshima, little persuasion, the chicken girl (c), 2008, lacquer on frp, 18 7/8 x 18 1/2 x 11 3/4 inches
interview
PURPLE — What are your main influences?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — My childhood memories, my strong attraction to nature, anime, manga, novels, and also yaoyorozu no kami, the belief in eight million gods.
PURPLE — What role does the artist hold in Japanese society?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — In today’s world, the volume of daily information is overwhelming. It feels like everything — both what I like and what I dislike — comes flooding in. It’s easy to lose sight of oneself.
I want to make sure I still have the ability and the heart to find beauty and communicate it in some ways. I want to express through my work how both the familiar and everyday landscapes are miraculously beautiful.
PURPLE — Do monsters, ghosts, and spirits inhabit your world and your paintings?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — Something gentle, timid, and dreamy lives within my work.
PURPLE — Can you describe the situation of women in Japan?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — Cosmetic procedures have become extremely popular in Japan, and in my generation, most people have had some sort of work done. Young girls are often unaware of their true charm and natural beauty.
PURPLE — What do you like about Japan, and what makes it unique?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — One thing I find remarkable about Japanese people is their attention to detail and dedication to pursuing improvement. People are never satisfied with the status quo and keep pushing further, and this constantly raises the quality of products and services, which often amazes me.
PURPLE — What is still problematic in Japanese society for you?
CHIHO AOSHIMA — What I find problematic is that some wrongs are still tolerated because we value social harmony too much. There’s also a lack of urgency, and people can become complacent.
END
ALL ARTWORK COPYRIGHT CHIHO AOSHIMA / KAIKAI KIKI CO., LTD., COURTESY OF PERROTIN
