Lounge
April 10, 2015
An Illustrator in Paris in May (Part 1): A Tale of Finland
Illustrator and May in Paris (1)
An Interview with Kanako Konoé About Her Time in Finland
Kanako Konoé is a friend of Junko Shirakawa, who was featured previously. She lives in the République area and works as an illustrator.
This time, we spoke with her at a cafe near République. Paris has been quite hot lately, as if spring was skipped and summer arrived. Perhaps to enjoy the fresh greenery and sunlight, the French people are leisurely enjoying their lunches at the outdoor tables, unfazed by the flying acacia pollen.
We sat in a slightly secluded spot inside the nearly empty cafe.
I learned from her website that Kanako, originally from Tokyo, had lived in several countries before coming to France.
Let's start there.
interview & text by SUZUKI Fumihiko
Finland, Hawaii, Japan, Paris
— I took a look at your website. Is the American page from when you were in the U.S.?
※ Kanako Konoé's Website
http://www.geocities.com/kanakoinhawaii/
“Thank you. I created that website when I was in Hawaii, and I couldn’t figure out how to change the address…”
— You lived in Hawaii too, didn't you?
“First I was in Finland, then Hawaii, and then I lived in Japan for about four years.”
— Why did you end up moving around like that?
“My aunt, who is single, was transferred for work. I wasn't employed and was just drawing, so she asked if I wanted to go with her. I went to Finland with her, and it was supposed to be for two years, but I didn't want to go back. Then my aunt was transferred again, so I went with her to Hawaii. After that, I returned to Japan. Then I wanted to go somewhere on my own, so I thought, why not Paris?”
— So you didn't go specifically to draw, then?
“Not exactly.”
The République Area
— Drawing is your profession now, isn't it?
“Yes. While I was with my aunt, I was drawing, but I wasn't really working. After I returned to Japan, I started my business in earnest and began taking on work.”
— Did living in various countries influence your work?
“It did. People told me my use of color changed.”
Kanako Konoé
— For example, in Finland?
“Finland is, above all, a cold and dark country. It's winter for about half the year. It's a harsh country. So people's personalities adapt to it, they endure. It might be a bit similar to Japanese people. How to live warmly in the dark. There are many red cars running on the roads. The interior of supermarkets also features a lot of red. I think that's probably because everyone feels it's cold, cold.”
— So you wanted warm colors?
“I think that kind of thing influences my color palette too. Like having a warm color in a chilly place.”
— So it becomes Finnish.
“There’s really nothing to do in that country. No entertainment. So I often drew just for pleasure, rather than for work.”
— From what month does it start getting cold?
“From around August, it already feels like autumn to Japanese people, and in September it's quite cold. In October, it snows. In November, the sun rises at 10 AM and sets at 3 PM, but even during that time, the sun isn't shining brightly; it's somewhere, but you can't see it.”
— That sounds a bit like winter in Paris.
“It’s like that, but even harsher. The coldest it got when I was there was minus 27.5 degrees Celsius. I went out for a bit, half for fun, but the chocolate in my pocket was so hard I couldn't bite it. Taking a deep breath hurt. The first winter I was there seemed particularly bad, as it snowed until early May. But around March, the sun started to come out, and when it reached about 3 degrees Celsius, everyone would go sunbathing. Wearing thick clothes.”
— During winter, does the sun really not come out at all?
“Maybe once a month, if you're lucky.”
Illustrator and May in Paris (2) — Finland and Hawaii