CAN AN ARTWORK CONNECT US WITH CREATIVE CHAOS?

CAN AN ARTWORK CONNECT US WITH CREATIVE CHAOS?

Just like last year, the Connected Ink 2021 logo was created by Satoru Kobayashi, an artist living in Hanamaki City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. This was made possible by the friendship between Mr. Takashi Itagaki, the art director of the Runbinii Art Museum, who supported Satoru's artistic journey, and Nobu Ide, President and CEO of Wacom.

Nobu: "The moment I saw his logo art, I strongly felt that the 'creative chaos' Connected Ink is going for was embodied so well! The lines, which exude a sense of anarchy at first glance, are actually all connected. The powerful lines are pouring into the areas where they are connected, and the fun-colored strokes cover the lines slightly beyond the lines. I feel something like overwhelming vitality when looking at the logo. Although I didn't give him any rules to follow, Satoru conveys the visuals like a miracle, but in a light yet powerful way. His artwork makes me convinced that the depths in which human creativity is connected are immeasurable."

At first, Nobu was unsure about asking Satoru to use Wacom products. It seemed disrespectful to him to invade the artist's world in this way.

itagaki
Itagaki: "I was very impressed with Wacom's inspiration and choice to have Satoru design a symbol of the event meant to radically explore the future of human creation. Satoru has a mental disability that he's been living with all of his life. His work goes beyond the intellect as he taps into his unique form of expression by standing in a deep spiritual realm that is not fragmented by words or concepts. Mr. Ide was worried that their offer may be an undesired interference with Satoru's way of expressing. However, it is Satoru's right to interact with this world as he perceives it. As a result, he seemed to be delighted with the encounter."
Taking advantage of the fact that 2020 was hit by the coronavirus pandemic and various restrictions affected the event, Connected Ink 2020 had changed dramatically compared to the past. It was organized as a hybrid event, being held both at a real venue and online. Since this hybrid element made it possible to take part from all over the world, Wacom decided to hold it for 27 hours to make sure that the time difference allowed people from everywhere to participate.
Nobu: "Last year's Connected Ink lasted 27 hours, but I feel that we have begun a long, long journey that does not end in 27 hours. Even now, we are in the middle of a journey that continues to ask the question, 'What will be born from creative chaos?' and this year's Connected Ink 2021 is on the way to finding the answers. However, I would like to evolve by adding some new elements every year, not just inheriting things from the past. To show that, we requested the creation of this year's logo by making the best use of last year's logo."

As a result, the Connected Ink 2021 logo was born, in which the monochrome logo of last year was colored and the "1" indicating 2021 was added. It does not end with a transient event, but has become a symbol of the community to continue to run in parallel with art, technology, and learning.
Read more

RELATED SESSIONS AND PEOPLE

RELATED SESSIONS AND PEOPLE