Contributor interview: Rieko Matsuzaki

This is the first of a series of short interviews to all the participants of Lost Souls, NSFW's first zine.
Our lovely Rieko was interviewed by Miss Salopette, and this is the result.

Miss Salopette: Please, present yourself, tell us something about you

Rieko Matsuzaki: I was born and brought up in Tokyo Japan. I majored in art in college and I'm working as an illustrator now.

MS: What's your biggest inspiration for your art? what inspires you most?

RM: I like drawing people, and I'm influenced most by "Ukiyoe". "Ukiyoe" is usually called the starting point of comics in Japan. I'm also influenced by pop artists such as Andy Warhol and Tadanori Yokoo.

MS: I like your rakugaki drawings! It seems a cool idea of blog but with drawings! 

can you explain us what's a rakugaki and where do you find inspiration to do them?

RM: I make a living by working at various part‐time jobs. Because, it's too difficult to live only by work of illustrations. Due to the bad economy, we can't get jobs easily in Japan, so I make balloon animals for children, distribute flyers, transform into a bartender, or doing various things!

Then, I can see various people and watch funny scene each time. There're a lot of strange visitors and interesting peopl. At first, I was drawing free scribble to make my friends laugh. However, I thought that it might become the comics which satirized the world like ukiyoe if these are collected and edited. So, I started my blog.

MS: What do you like to do in your spare time?

RM: I love to watch movies and go shopping!

I love spending time in a cafe, too.

MS: How is the art scene in japan? what do you think about it?

RM: I think that excessive things, shocking things, and OTAKU works were very popular in Japan. But, all we Japanese people changed our minds because of catastrophic earthquake on 11/3/2011.

In sadness or anxiety state, we the artists have come to think "What can we do?"

and, we came to value the relationship. Moreover, KAWAII things, happy things, and beautiful things became more important. 

MS: What do you think about the themes and the concept of the NSFW, 

do you use NSFW as a content in your artworks?

RM: I interacted with NSFW members, and I thought that girls in the world have things in common.We're holding future troubles, sorrows of love, mental anguish...and, We like chatting, eating, and, loving kawaii things! And so I tackled the work by the theme "GIRLSPOWER in the world against bad economy!".

MS:  Where can we find out more about your art (internet websites..)?

RM: I have a rakugaki blog about people-watching!

You can get to know The Japanese of nowadays!(^ω^ )

More about Rieko in her Rakugaki blog or in her portfolio. Look forward to her contribution to the zine, it's really cute!!