Interview with Naotaka Hiro

L.A. based artist Naotaka Hiro talks about the exploration of the “unknown body” in his multi-media practice. The Osaka-born artist, who works across painting, drawing, video, film, and sculpture, often puts constraints on his body as he works, embracing his own limitations and failures. In this episode Hiro gives listeners intimate insight to his nuanced process, and the private performance that goes into making his work. He also talks about how 2020’s pandemic and unrest directly impacted his recent exhibition, Armor.

“I think that making failure is to show myself, like a raw self.. Not pretending or [trying] to be pretty with something extra. I always have the tendency to make it neat and nice, but having a failure kind of pulls me off from that.”

–Naotaka Hiro

Host and Producer: Lindsay Preston Zappas

Production and engineering: PJ Shahamat 

Theme music: Joel P West