INTERVIEW with Nanako
Carmela Loiacono talks with Nanako who takes part in the International Art Exhibition CREACTION in Matera, at cultural hypogeum Lega Navale Italiana Matera-Magna Grecia.

Carmela Loiacono – Please introduce yourself and talk about the selected works: “Coffee and Basque Cheesecake”, “Grilled Chicken with Bone”, “Stir-fried Noodles with Thick Sauce”, “Tagliere misto Lucano”, “Green diary” and “Pink diary” presented during the exhibition CREACTION.
Nanako – Hello. I’m Nanako, A picture diary artist / A modernologist of food culture / An installation artist based in Kagawa/Kobe, JAPAN.
I consider food as a symbol of everyday joy, and by depicting these scenes, I hope to resonate with people’s inner sense of peace and contentment. Let me introduce you to some of my work.
”Coffee and Basque Cheesecake”. This is a scene at my favorite cafe “dolce Coffee” in Kobe. I stopped by during work. The aromatic coffee and the rich flavor of the cheese spread joy in my heart.
“Grilled Chicken with Bone”. This delicious chicken is a specialty of Marugame City in Kagawa Prefecture, another of my home bases. It is grilled in two varieties, parent and baby chickens, and the one pictured here is the baby chicken. Tender and slightly spicy, the oil dripping from the grill adds a richness of flavor.
“Stir-fried Noodles with Thick Sauce”. This Stir-fried Noodles was served at an unpretentious Chinese restaurant in Kobe, Hyogo Prefecture. Kobe has long been home to many “overseas Chinese” of Chinese origin, and Chinese food has permeated the food culture. The restaurant is really popular and always makes me feel warm.
I like to depict such moments of “sudden warmth”.
“Tagliere misto Lucano”. This is a wonderful assortment of foods from the Matera, or Lucania region of southern Italy. They are all made using traditional methods, and with each taste you can feel the rich nature and culture of the mountainous region. The flavors of the ingredients come alive in this dish, which I feel is common to Japanese cuisine as well. It was an unforgettable dish.
“Green diary”. This is a picture diary in a sketchbook that I started drawing for the first time in my life in July 2024. I had kept a diary before, but this was the first time I started to continuously draw my daily food as a picture diary. This small sketchbook contains my daily meals in Japan and memories of my travels around the country.
“Pink diary”. This is my second picture diary, twice the size of the Green Diary. So I can now write in a variety of scenes. It was also around this time that I started drawing not only pictures of meals, but also my own fantasies. Through writing in my picture diary, my ideas must have become freer.

Carmela Loiacono – How would you describe your creative process? What or who influenced or is influencing your work?
Nanako – I paint from the perspective of “depicting joy in everyday life. Therefore, the common theme of my work is joy. However, I am not making art with the intention of making art, nor am I making art for art’s sake. My moments of pure joy come first, and then the pictorial diary is born. The picture diary exists as a witness to that moment of joy.
No specific person or work of art influences the creation of my picture diaries, but they could not have been created without encountering many people, places, and moments. The coincidence of time and space influences my work.

Carmela Loiacono – We had the pleasure to meet in person in Matera , staying together, living the moment of creation, did you enjoy cooperating with me? Did you like to stay in Matera and create your artwork “Tagliere misto Lucano”? 
Nanako – Yes, it was a great experience for me to collaborate with you. It has been a wonderful experience for me to collaborate with you. You know very well that art is born from a deep connection with the individual’s way of being. I felt that the time we spent together during the residency was a time that was born out of that relationship, and that is what art is about.
It was a great experience for me to paint the work, but it was also very meaningful for me to share the time and space, and to see the changes that were born from that experience.

Carmela Loiacono – What do you think about shared art on social media? Could it be an alternative way of communicating contemporary art?
Nanako – Social media is very useful in creating encounters that transcend time, space, and existence. However, what truly changes lives is always a direct experience. Social media is art as an entry point, not a substitute for art.  It‘s my personal point of view.

Carmela Loiacono – What are your future goals and/or projects?
Nanako  – To create a place of resonance.