When I was a student, I would buy T-shirts of my favorite bands at live music venues as a way of thanking them for their live performance that day and to support their future musical endeavors.
In this blog, I will be recording how I spend the money and time you all have given me each month.
July 2022. I went to Chiang Mai, Thailand for about a month . I haven't been abroad since the COVID-19 pandemic, so I was a little nervous about taking an international flight for the first time in four years.
I met up with MAYU, with whom I had been in contact on Instagram before leaving the country. MAYU is a hood star who has created many works not only in Chiang Mai, but also in Thailand and abroad. She told me that she had come to Japan to paint a few years ago.
On the day of the painting, NAP, a member of the Graffiti crew MSV, who is also with MAYU, came. I was always alone in the Kagoshima atelier, so it had been four years since I painted on a wall with someone. I had wanted to paint with someone for a long time, so this was a really fun day.
During my stay in Chiang Mai, I bought some spray cans at a graffiti shop called Dream Graff. Apparently, I was the first Japanese guest there.
I became friends with the shop owner and he invited me to come and draw with him if I had time, so Kanaet, SANCHAI and I drew near the shop.
After finishing painting, SANCHAI and I chatted while eating a banana.
Dream Graff was founded about three years ago by about 10 artists, musicians, and local friends . In addition to selling spray cans, they also operate rental studios and a gallery.
When I said it was amazing that they managed such a large property for three years, they said, "It's because rent is cheap in Chiang Mai." Apparently electricity and water are also cheaper than in Japan. I'm jealous.
My visa was about to expire, so I wanted to do some street painting by myself before I left the country, and I booked a hotel near a spot that the staff at Dream Graff had recommended to me.
I like drawing on walls while having fun with other people, but I also like spending time alone facing the wall carefully.
It had been four years since I last painted alone on the street, so I was worried about passersby's gazes when I started, but after 10 minutes I was so engrossed that I forgot about people. As I neared completion, backpackers and locals started calling out to me and asking me things like, "How much would it cost to paint for you?" Each and every one of these interactions brought back memories.
For the past four years, I have been painting alone in my studio in Kagoshima, so by painting with others in Thailand, I was able to confirm my own growth. I have also seen new challenges for the next stage, so I plan to continue honing my skills at my studio in Kagoshima.
This time I only stayed in Chiang Mai, but it seems there are more spots to paint in Bangkok, and the number of writers and artists is far greater than in Chiang Mai. So, next time I go to Thailand, I definitely want to paint on a wall in Bangkok.
This concludes our activity report for July 2022. Thank you for reading.