In last week's column, I featured "Artistic Plant Pots", but in truth, we also have a few items of genuine "Art" at home. I used to think buying art was something only for celebrities living in mansions, but stepping into that world, I realized it's more accessible than I imagined. Today, I'd like to share a personal perspective on a way to enjoy art.

This also connects a little to that familiar feeling many of us who love collecting succulents go through, as well as to the future PUKUBOOK aims for. I hope you'll read along.

Who is Wood Sculptor Kei Bitou?

Hoodies and T-shirts, skirts and dresses. With a smartphone in hand, lost in thought... It's as if the musings of these modern people have materialized, their heads transformed into geometric objects. These strange and whimsical sculptures, which spark your imagination with thoughts like "What could they possibly be thinking to end up with a head shaped like that?", are Kei Bitou's signature "people of peace" series. Aren't they just incredibly cute?

Born in 1986 in Toyooka City, Hyogo Prefecture. Kei Bitou currently works out of a studio in his hometown of Toyooka, dedicating himself to creating wood sculptures. He aimed to become a furniture craftsman in his teens and went on to study woodworking and design at a specialized school deep in the mountains of Gifu Prefecture. After working at a design office and a furniture maker, he went independent in 2015. He's recently said, "Now that I'm finally able to make a living just creating art, I want to focus on this." He sometimes participates in overseas art exhibitions, such as in Taiwan this past January and, soon, in other places. The potential and excitement just keep growing for this artist.

If you'd like a deep dive, there's a thoroughly detailed interview with him from a little while ago on "Dinos," so I'll let them handle the full story:

By the way, "Kei Bitou" is pronounced "Bee-toh Kay"—and believe it or not, it’s his real name. How cool is that? The name alone feels like a sign of artistic talent! (laughs)

Solo Exhibition in Asakusa Starting October 14

Kei Bitou’s new solo exhibition is being held this weekend at Galerie NUAGE in Asakusa, so if you’re nearby, please drop by and check it out! That’s honestly the main purpose of this article! (laughs)

Have you ever been to an art gallery? For many people, it's a world they don’t even know exists; and even if they do, they almost never step inside. Personally, the only gallery where I've purchased anything is right here at Galerie NUAGE! (laughs)

PUKUBOOK—coming from a totally different field—is inviting you into this little-known world, and even if it's just out of curiosity, I’d love for you take a peek.

#I’m the curious type, so I can never say no to invitations like this (laughs)

For artists and galleries, the most important thing is just "being seen" and "getting known" (no need to buy anything!), so please feel free to stop by—even if I have no right to say so as an outsider, haha.

[Sidebar] Buying Art and Supporting Creators with Your Money

The Option of "Buying Art"

I really want people to know that "buying" is an option when it comes to art. Up until recently, I only ever "engaged with art" by going to see pieces displayed at museums. So the idea that you could choose an artwork from a show and actually have it in your own home was truly a fresh experience.

I've mentioned before in a column that even in places like museums and botanical gardens—where you absolutely can’t buy the works on display—viewing pieces from the mindset of "Which would I choose if I could take one home?" makes you appreciate them much more personally. If you can actually buy one, that experience gets even deeper. You scrutinize each piece just like when selecting a rare succulent. It's a truly valuable experience.

"Contemporary Artist Galleries" Are Places Where You Can Buy

You can actually purchase Kei Bitou’s work on Galerie NUAGE’s online shop, so prices are listed right there. Whether those numbers feel high or low depends on your personal perspective, but what I hope you'll see is that the actual amounts you’d need to buy something are not outrageously expensive.

#I'm talking about whether that amount is currently in your bank account. The prices you hear about art in the news or on appraisal shows can be in the millions or even billions, but that's really not the case for most artists.

Prices in the tens of millions or billions apply only to a handful of world-renowned, highly popular artists. Many contemporary creators offer their art at realistic prices. So rather than dismissing galleries as "not for me," why not occasionally give them a glance? It's also a great way to develop your own sense for evaluating the value of different things.

That’s one of the things I really want to convey in this article.

Buying Art is a Form of "Support"

Why do you buy art? Of course, art can brighten up your home or office, boost your day-to-day happiness simply by being surrounded by things you love, or help you get more "likes" by sharing a cool interior on social media. The value of art itself is already high.

Another thing you hear about is "investment." Sometimes an artist becomes famous and their work skyrockets in value. I won't deny that, but the chances are like gambling—unless you’re financially very comfortable, it’s probably not the strongest reason to buy.

But there’s another important aspect to spending money: "support."

Actually, I went to furniture school with Kei Bitou, so we’re personal friends. Even putting that aside, I truly like his work and want to collect it. But as his friend, I also like the kind of person he is. More than anything, I trust him and want to "support" what he does, and that’s not zero percent of why I buy his art.

When you say, "I’ll buy this piece," he’ll respond with something like, "Thank you! Now I can buy an air conditioner!" Honestly, I'm more than happy to try to contribute at least the price of the piece! Of course, what I spend is only a tiny fraction of his activity costs, but that's fine by me.

Buying an artwork means supporting the artist's activities. In a world overflowing with products, where every store’s goods are high quality and similar, we often choose a particular shop or artist because we're rooting for them—something Ryo Nishino, the marketing expert I often quote, has predicted would be a growing trend…and I feel it’s coming true.

Let’s bring this back to our main theme for a second: the world of succulents is similar, isn’t it? There are growers whose plants you want to buy, pot makers you want to support, shops you keep returning to… Sometimes it’s because you like their quality or style, but other times it’s because you genuinely want to encourage and support their work.

Shopping at PUKUBOOK or its official shop is—of course—mainly because the information is useful and the products are good, but someday I hope people will say, "I’m shopping here because I want to support their activities" (though to be fair, we already say quite plainly, "The shop sales fund PUKUBOOK. Every purchase supports us!" haha)

In Summary

This is a bit of an outlier "succulent column"—it barely mentions succulents at all!—but I wanted to share this because I think anyone who loves succulents would be drawn to these works as well. In fact, some succulent shops do carry art, and the collector vibe is very similar. Most importantly, the "cute and cozy world" the art creates overlaps, too.

I've talked about "buying" art or "supporting artists," but the most fundamental and important way to support them is simply "knowing" about their work and "seeing it." Even just visiting for a look is warmly welcomed, so please feel free to swing by a gallery anytime!