Not limited to only
design or art, which people and works have influenced the development of your
sensibilities and values?
No one necessarily influences me, but I more
admire their desire to create change. Tom Sachs, Eileen Fisher, and many others
fit that list.
I read that you are
fluent in sign language and studied speech pathology in college. That’s a very interesting background, but what made you change direction to a creative
career path?
When I went to university for speech
pathology, I began exploring various aspects of visual communication, and my
focus shifted. At one point, I thought of going into broadcasting.
You then worked for
Reebok as a graphic designer. I believe that you have gained much knowledge and
experience there, but what is the most important one that you have applied to
your current activities?
I’m
grateful and fortunate for all the experiences I’ve had
and the knowledge that I’ve gained. One of the most
important things I learned was that new isn’t always
better. It’s about seeing the potential in the
materials around us and how you use them.
Many of your works
from that period feature Reebok’s
Beatnik. What was it about Beatnik that inspired you?
Since I’m
not a trained designer, I focused on creating something relatively easy to
achieve, like a sandal, and unconventional materials lent themselves well to
the overall shape. You could always tell it was a sandal no matter what I used.