Tang's world
Sioou is a painter from Lyon, and designed the Submarin and Oldschool Freedom sets.
How would you define your style?
Tang: What I do is figurative, cheerful painted illustration. What emerges is something simple, cheerful, positive; it's often related to childhood, probably my own. Living in the countryside with forests all around, swimming in rivers, making cabins, that was really my thing, so it left its mark on the man, that's for sure (laughs). So now I paint cabins.
Once you've lived in Japan, you're influenced for the rest of your life!
A recurring character in Tang's work is Kukai, a Japanese monk who greatly influenced the country's thought and philosophy.
What inspires you in general?
Tang: I love the relationship between man and nature. I also like to tell stories in my paintings. My wife is of Japanese origin and we lived in Japan. Once you've lived there, you're influenced for the rest of your life! I'm also inspired by the films of Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli. I like the way he explores the relationship between man and nature, which is a bit like the Steampunk movement.
And are your dreams ever an inspiration?
Tang: I had a dream about a friend of mine and we were riding BMX naked, just wearing helmets and doing loops. It was a great dream, really well done (laughs), but I don't feel like painting it!
Do you travel often?
Tang: Yes, but there's no need to travel, I'm an interior painter!
So everything comes out of your head!
Tang: I think you make your own culture out of everything, and popopo I make my own mixture, I mix it all up on a daily basis in my work. I like to think of an artist as a transistor, someone who takes something, transforms it and gives it back to the viewer, having personalized it.
I'm not an art romantic, I'm not interested in money, but what it allows me to do, yes!
Isn't it a bit frustrating to sell a painting knowing that you've spent so much time on it?
Tang: No, it's meant to be. I'm not an art romantic, I'm not interested in money, but what it allows me to do, yes! A painting is an object. After that, you can put whatever social and psychological charge you like on it, but it's a piece of wood, with matter spread over it. I like to think about that from time to time, because it takes my mind off masturbating (laughs)!
What do you think of traditional tattoos?
Tang: I don't have any tattoos and I don't want any, but I've already designed some for people who've had them tattooed. But I really enjoyed working for Sioou, discovering new things, and then I fell in love with the concept of temporary tattoos, so I did it.
To discover Tang's work: http://tangworks.blogspot.fr/