Kiyo Murakami was born in Shizuoka, currently based in Tokyo, Japan. After she graduated from art school, she continued experimenting with various art, such as illustration, design, music, etc. But she found best way to express herself through the world of photography.
Kiyo Murakami finds inspiration in paintings, music, and movies, old paintings and classic picture books in particular, but her most creative ideas come from her childhood memories and dreams. Some of her work are self-portraits, something she does not consider narcissistic, but rather an adventure in self-discovery that many times the benefit of being “therapeutic” as well.
She loves to make collaborative work with talented people, her friends, musicians and performers. They’re helping her creativity as well.
Interview with Artist Photographer Kiyo Murakami
By Giulia | Feb. 2nd, 2011 via pxleyes.com
The Mind-blowing Photo Manipulations of Kiyo Murakami – with Exclusive Interview
Asia is a fascinating continent to all the other parts of the world, by culture, traditions and customs. All these special features are reflected in art also, which has a unique and graceful feel.
Today’s showcase proves it, by introducing a very talented artist from Japan. Kiyo Murakami combines photography and photo-manipulation into amazing pieces of art – she manages to create fantasy worlds that you can’t even dream of.
We interviewed her and very kindly she agreed to share some thoughts with us. Here goes:
Q: Hello Kiyo and welcome to pxleyes.com community. Please introduce yourself.
A: Hello and thank you for inviting me. My name is Kiyo Murakami, and I am a freelance photographer and designer living in Tokyo.
After I graduated from art school I continued experimenting with various art forms: illustration, design, music, etc., and discovered that I was able to best express my myself through the world of photography.
Q: Your art is simply amazing. Please tell us what kind of software do you use for manipulations and what kind of gear for photography?
A: Thank you very much. I shoot exclusively in RAW format and do all of my editing and manipulations in Photoshop CS5.
At the moment, my primary camera gear consists of a Canon EOS 5D MkII body with lenses that include a 28-135mm zoom, a 50mm f1.4 prime lens and a 20mm f2.8 prime lens.
Q: Is there something or someone who inspires you in the creation process?
A: To be honest, I’m not that familiar with famous photographers, though I have found inspiration in paintings, music, and movies – old paintings and classic films in particular, but my most creative ideas come from my childhood memories and dreams.
Q: How long does it take, approximately, for completing the creation of such a beautiful image?
A: If I am working alone (and depending upon the image) it can take up to 4 hours or longer for the shoot, with an additional 4 to 8 hours spent in post-processing.
When I collaborate with someone else it usually takes considerably longer as we exchange ideas and work through drawings and rough sketches.
Q: Is there any theme in art that draws more your attention?
A: When I was little, I really loved surreal art because it can transport us to other worlds.
Now, we can easily create that kind of art on the computer and while I still find it fun, I have come to place where I tend to be more thoughtful in my approach to my creation, and the concepts it leads me to.
Q: Do you collaborate with other people?
A: Yes, I chose to surround myself with creative and talented friends whom I often collaborate with.
As an example, I recently collaborated with Japan’s exclusive women’s corset brand: abilletage (www.abilletage.com), which led to a very exciting photo exhibition in Tokyo’s Shinjuku district.
WooArts referenced other collaborators with Kiyo Murakami:
- kokusyokusumire.net
- xxxendxxx.com
- ALK × jajyu
- Hidarikiki no Gauche (Taizan Aotsuki) www.seigetusha.net
- Hatohiro Mikami www.hatohiromikami.com
- PILLS EMPIRE www.pillsempire.com
- Apartment Hotel Shinjuku × abilletage ap-shinjuku.com
- Takumi Yamada
Gallery
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