Where do you get your inspiration from?

The artist is a master of contradiction, a man who is at once both a visionary and a
practitioner. He is the person who, as an artist, is aware of the situation in which he finds himself and, at the same time, has the ability to translate that situation into a work of art. It is this combination of knowledge and intuition, of thought and action, that is the key to her work.

What other artists have been inspirational to you in your work?

I'm a living testament to this. I have been working on this book for over 10 years. The first draft of this book was completed in 1997 and then I had to wait for the right moment. I think that the book is in the process of being born. A book that will be born in the coming months will be a book on the history of Chinese painting, which is also my life's work. And I am going to spend the rest of my days in China.

What can you tell us your work is about and a bit about your creative process?

I know there are those who think I am a lunatic and I am only just now getting around to writing this book. But it is not true. I was an artist with a very successful career in Japan and China and in America. This book, I believe, is the logical culmination of all of my art work, and I hope that it will prove to be an important contribution to the art world. I would like to thank my wife and daughter, who have been my partners in this journey. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my friends and colleagues, including my husband, Yoshihiko Yajima, the painter and curator who has been the guiding light of this project.
This book is dedicated to those who have stood by me through the years and the many people I have met along the way who have helped me to navigate the world of art. «Art is a revolution which has taken place in the human mind.» — Friedrich Nietzsche