Looking closely at the LED displays of trains and buses to television monitors and Smartphone screens, you will be able to find countless dots “pixels” existing within them. Pixel is the smallest unit that contains color information, which structures a digital image. When the “digital” existence came into the world, “pixels” were also born. Yosca Maeda is a featuring artist who freely navigates this pixel world.
From Musician and Teacher, to Becoming a Pixel Artist
It’s a pleasure to meet you! Thank you for your time today.
Yosca Maeda : I look forward to our discussion. I am Yosca Maeda. I began my creative work in 2020, first under the name Mae.
I heard that you were an elementary school teacher prior to your career as an artist.
Yosca Maeda : That’s right. Initially, I wanted to work in the music field and that was my starting point. But I didn’t have any distinct plans after graduating from music school, so I acquired my teaching certificate and worked as a teacher for about four and a half years. At the time, I was planning to pursue my music career alongside my teaching career. While the work was highly fulfilling, it was also very demanding that I couldn’t continue my musical activities. I decided to resign when the first class that I had taken on as a homeroom teacher graduated in sixth grade.
What led you to shift from your musical pursuit to a pixel artist?
Yosca Maeda : I first began creating pixel art when I designed an artwork for my own music project. Since then, I started entering contests and created a social media account to share my works, and soon later, job inquiries for pixel art began to come in. At the start, I repeatedly thought of finding a full-time job once I finished the piece and the thought kept coming back and forth for a while. But as my body of work grew, more people began supporting me and I started to think that perhaps this form of expression may be what I have been looking for.
Placing Colors One Pixel at a Time – Pixel Art as a Mirror for Self-Reflection
While there are many forms of artistic expression to choose from, what drew you to pixel art?
Yosca Maeda : As I began pursuing my artistic career in earnest, the world was suffering under the impact of COVID-19. On top of that, my grandfather passed away, and I found myself losing connection to society and fell into a pessimistic state of mind. As I recollected my inner self, I started to think about what constituted me as a person. Each pixel has a clear and definite boundary, and I loved the puzzle-like sensation of placing each piece while confirming its position. The mechanics are simple but the finished works always seemed to reflect my emotions. I think that balance was exactly what I needed at that time.
Like placing the puzzle pieces, I allocate colors carefully, confirming each individual pixel. Since I have no choice but to consider every color combination myself, I’m able to recall the important scenes in my memories and the elements that comprise who I am. The process of breaking this down and confirming my identity sometimes feels like a Zen dialogue.
What is the reason behind choosing to work with loop animations like GIFs rather than focusing solely on still images?
Yosca Maeda : For me, the act of drawing is a process of shaping a fragmented image that is left within me. The time flows slowly, or in repeated cycles in these scenes. I create loop animations to capture that sensation.
Occasionally, people mention that my work somehow feels nostalgic to them. Even though they haven’t necessarily encountered these exact scenes, I believe that when a location is transformed into pixel art, it becomes connected to a landscape that exists nowhere specific but only within us. My artist name, Yosca, also incorporates the meaning of “Yosuga” in Japanese. I hope to create artworks that people who view them might want to turn to as a small source of emotional comfort for their hearts.
Art and Living: Fragments of Art Scattered Throughout Daily Life
How do you spend your time other than working on your art pieces?
Yosca Maeda : I go to exhibitions and watch films. Recently, I saw Wim Wenders’ “PERFECT DAYS.” I also love the Harry Potter series. The photographs in those films move like loop animations by magic. My own loop artworks has a sense that the world continues forever, which you could perhaps call it somewhat magical as well. I also enjoy watching transitional insert shots that connect one scene to another in films.
Your attention to detail is incredible…(laughs)!
Yosca Maeda : Perhaps I’m often drawn to elements that are outside the main narrative (laughs). I also enjoy taking some walks. When walking, I suddenly encounter a scene that catches my attention or come up with a good phrase. Since my work is often inspired by ordinary scenes from daily life, I sometimes document these moments with photos and notes.
I’d love to know what you’re documenting in there (laughs).
Yosca Maeda : When I try to take a photo that is perfect and shareable, they end up feeling too much like a tool rather than a snapshot of a memory. So lately, I’ve been taking photos more casually. The photos could be blurry or may retain some human touch but I tend to find these more interesting when I look back at them. I capture things like the gaps between buildings, shapes of shadows, the sky – various everyday things you will catch while walking.
Creating dialogue through art, both with the audience and with oneself. Yosca Maeda, who articulates himself with calm precision, appears to have artistic practice and daily life interconnected like points and lines. In part two, we will explore deeper into more personal aspects, from the unexpected artistic influences to his thoughts on the future of digital art.
