Purple Magazine
— Purple #43 S/S 2025
The Tokyo Diary Issue
cover #4 tomoo gokita
interview
by OLIVIER ZAHM
portrait
by CHIKASHI SUZUKI
Tomoo Gokita’s paintings draw inspiration from Japanese subcultural references — vintage magazines, film stills, adult publications, and found images — transforming them into a symbolic and enigmatic visual language that deconstructs identity and narcissism.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Would you agree that your paintings smile at us ironically?
TOMOO GOKITA — I completely agree. I want people to laugh all the time.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Are painted people more interesting to you than real people?
TOMOO GOKITA — I think real people are crazier and more dangerous.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Do you like French Surrealists?
TOMOO GOKITA — I’m not particularly interested in Surrealism, but I find it interesting that so many people point out the similarities with my work.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Do you collect vintage comics and magazines?
TOMOO GOKITA — Ten years ago, I stopped buying magazines as reference material. I automatically stopped sampling from magazines.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Do you believe in aliens, ghosts, or invisible creatures?
TOMOO GOKITA — Certainly, I think there are a few I haven’t come across yet.
OLIVIER ZAHM — What kind of music do you listen to?
TOMOO GOKITA — All kinds. It’s an impossible wish, but I want to listen to all the music I’ve never heard before until the day I die.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Do you believe in life on other planets?
TOMOO GOKITA — Yes.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Do you believe in love?
TOMOO GOKITA — Yes.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Who is your favorite Japanese artist?
TOMOO GOKITA — The professional wrestling and martial artist Antonio Inoki.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Which city is closest in spirit to Tokyo?
TOMOO GOKITA — Certainly Seoul, Korea. The cityscape is very similar to Tokyo, but their national character and mentality are completely different.
OLIVIER ZAHM — What do you like about Tokyo that you don’t find elsewhere?
TOMOO GOKITA — Tokyo is a bunch of country bumpkins. I love it, and I hate it.
OLIVIER ZAHM — Are there still underground scenes in Tokyo?
TOMOO GOKITA — The underground scene that certainly existed in the ’80s and ’90s seems to have become average and boring.
ALL ARTWORK COPYRIGHT TOMOO GOKITA, COURTESY OF TAKA ISHII GALLERY
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Tomoo Gokita, how to do handstand pose, 2022, acrylic on paper, 12 1/2 x 9 3/8 inches, photo kenji takahashi
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Tomoo Gokita, nancy, 2011, acrylic gouache on canvas, 88 1/2 x 71 5/8 inches, photo kenji takahashi
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Tomoo Gokita, water place, 2022, acrylic on paper, 12 1/2 x 9 3/8 inches, photo kenji takahashi
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Tomoo Gokita, idol with the goldenhead, 2008, gouache on canvas, 76 3/8 x 63 3/4 inches, photo takashi orii
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Tomoo Gokita, japanese lingerie model, 2022, acrylic on paper, 12 1/2 x 9 3/8 inches, photo kenji takahashi
