Today we’d like to introduce you to Kris Goto.
Hi Kris, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Kagoshima, Japan. Moved to Hong Kong at the age of nine and spent most of my school years in Hong Kong and New Zealand before moving to O’ahu. I have never been to college – although it’ll be fun to go when I am in my 60’s or 70’s and learn from someone else.
When teachers ask you to write about what you want to be when you grow up, I’ve always and only listed “artist”. Initially, my goal was to become a manga artist. Having read so many manga growing up, copying characters from the all-time favorites like Ai Yazawa, Takehiko Inoue, Yuu Watase and inspired by the works of Osamu Tezuka, it was a natural assumption to have that I will become a great manga artist when I grow up.
In high school, I realized that the world of art was much more diverse and limitless outside of manga and have decided then to move on and seek outside my comfort box. I was fascinated by the Maori tattoo motifs in New Zealand, collaborative works by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean and masterpieces by Goya and Renee Magritte opened my eyes to a whole new world of art I never knew existed. I am very grateful for the art teachers I had in high school who have exposed me to so many things.
I moved to O’ahu in 2006. I caught my first wave in 2009 and I have been fascinated with the surf culture in Hawai’i ever since.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I have been blessed with so many wonderful people that have taught and guided me along the way. But most of it was just paving the road on your own too. I’ve made so many mistakes, but I keep learning from them and just taking one day at a time!
One of the most difficult things I faced as an artist was to put a price tag on my artwork. I think it’s one of those things that will always be difficult for me. How do you price something that you are psychologically and emotional attached to? Something that you gave birth to? Turning my art into business/career was definitely an intimidating transition I had to make.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a pen on paper artist and a muralist. I work with thin-tipped black pens and illustrate tiny details on paper. I used to be strictly black and white but started playing around with colors in 2014. I also have worked on murals for private collectors, POW!WOW! HAWAII, local restaurants and most recently for the historic YWCA O’ahu for their 120th Anniversary in 2020.
I am best known for my artwork featuring local island lifestyle of Hawai’i. Places, actions and things I’ve seen and heard are all inspirations for my current line of work. I believe my artwork is very unique because it stems from my imagination. Yes, inspired by real events and environments, but it is a product of my imagination that only exists in my brain.
I am proud of all of my artwork. Every time I am finished with one, I am at my proudest moment. But if I were to name a few, I think it was really fascinating to see my artwork displayed prominently throughout the Target Ala Moana in 2017. I’ve never seen my art blown up to that scale before so that was really interesting. I also felt really proud when I got to work on two murals for the Shangri La Museum in 2018. I spent a whole month working on the murals on property. It was very inspiring getting to commute to work to the historic museum that is the Shangri La Museum. Connecting with the museum staffs and learning what they do and are passionate about was one of the most unforgettable experiences I’ve had as an artist.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I measure success by how much I enjoyed working on a piece of artwork. When it prompts me to do a small dance in my studio when I’m finished with a piece, that is a moment of success for me. It is very important to me that I stay true to myself and be able to trust my instinct throughout the entire process of creating a piece of artwork.
I also feel really successful when a really good idea hits me. I do a small dance whilst frantically looking for a piece of paper to write it down.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.krisgoto.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/kgotoart
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/artofgoto
