Whole9 is an artist unit that focuses mainly on murals and live painting.
The duo, consisting of artists “hitch” and “simo,” attended the same school and has been active as Whole9 for over 10 years. While hitch paints concrete expressions, simo’s specialty is abstract work.
Whole9 has worked with TokyoDex on a diverse range of projects including the Artist Caravan project in Tohoku, Indeed’s new Tokyo office space, and the “MINI Roof Liberation Project”.
In this blog entry, we decided to interview the duo regarding Whole9’s story and their connection to TokyoDex.
Why did you decide to create Whole9?
hitch (abbreviated as h below): "I originally entered art school thinking that I wanted to make art my career, but my professor told me that it would be difficult to make a living from solely art. While I was thinking about my future and what I wanted to do, I saw a video of a team live painting on a huge wall. I thought that maybe I could make this work and asked simo and other friends from art school to form Whole9."
Simo(abbreviated below as s): "I also entered art school because I loved art. When I heard from hitch about Whole9, I thought it sounded interesting and decided to join. Though there have been times when Whole9 had 3 to 4 members, we currently have only 2 active members."
h: "Actually, the video of the live painting crew that inspired Whole9 to begin was from a group called “Rinpaeshidan,” which Daniel (founder/creative director of TokyoDex) was a member of. If you think about it, it’s amazing that I’m working with him now."
What do you value the most when you are producing work?
s: "What we paint becomes part of the performance. Therefore, I try to match the art to the atmosphere or mood of the venue. I try to observe what kind of people are gathered at the site and talk to them directly before our performance."
h: "I try to create a piece that looks great from both up close and far away. I try to make every little motif as cool as possible and think about how elegant the composition is when seen from far away."
How did you meet TokyoDex?
h: "In 2014, we and 50 other artists were involved in a project called “BCTION” where we created art in an abandoned building. We met Daniel there and started to work with TokyoDex through the Artist Caravan project in Tohoku."
s: "Within all the projects we’ve done with TokyoDex, this Artist Caravan left the strongest impression. It was very fun to be able to travel Tohoku with other artists and create art with them. TokyoDex created an environment where artists can enjoy creating art. Although it was our first time working with TokyoDex, we knew we could trust them from the start."
h: "In 2014, we and 50 other artists were involved in a project called “BCTION” where we created art in an abandoned building. We met Daniel there and started to work with TokyoDex through the Artist Caravan project in Tohoku."
s: "Within all the projects we’ve done with TokyoDex, this Artist Caravan left the strongest impression. It was very fun to be able to travel Tohoku with other artists and create art with them. TokyoDex created an environment where artists can enjoy creating art. Although it was our first time working with TokyoDex, we knew we could trust them from the start."
While working with TokyoDex, what are some characteristics that you see of the company?
h: "TokyoDex has a great balance. There are some companies that accommodate so that artists can work comfortably but focus too much on the artist and doesn’t meet the customer’s demands. On the other hand, there are also companies that cannot connect well with their artists and only have very business-like interactions with them. TokyoDex evenly focuses on both the customers and the artists. When I work with TokyoDex, I know that we can just focus on the art and everything else will be taken care of. This sense of security is what makes TokyoDex different from other companies."
s: "Daniel himself is an artist, and I think this is an important factor of TokyoDex as well. Because Daniel is an artist, he understands how the site where the work is placed affects the art. He also understands which artist would fit a customer’s needs and what needs to be done for the best result. In addition, instead of just meeting a customer’s demands, he tries to enhance the artist’s style or creativity within the work and this builds trust."
Lastly, what message would you like to convey as artists?
s: "I like nature and try to incorporate it into my work. For example, the colors of the sky are often used for different tones. Like glittery rocks, plants, or sunsets, beautiful things exist in our daily lives. I try to depict these objects onto a cannas. I hope that after seeing our work, people would start noticing the beauty in their daily lives and feel a sense of fulfillment."
h: "I enjoy being able to create artworks in the way we are doing now. My art forms from pieces that I’ve collected from my favorite music or movies. A wide range of people from children to grandparents react to my work and this interaction gives me a new perspective. This is what I enjoy. I want people who do not know Whole9 to see our work and I would like to interact with many different kinds of people."
Whole9 is a Japanese artist unit formed in Osaka Japan in 2007.The members of Whole9 are “hitch,” whose main focus is representational painting, and “simo,” whose concentrates on abstract painting. Their work is heavily influenced by street art, and they strive to maintain exceptional quality and include various expressions in their high-speed painting and large-scale murals. The range of their activities is wide. In addition to live painting, mural production, client work for brands such as adidas, RedBull, SEIKO etc., they have also performed in commercial films and music videos, etc. Sometimes producers, the also are involved in making videos and organizing art events. Throughout the years, Whole9 has taken part in various art events and group exhibitions and will continue to work in various styles.
