Art as a part of the nature: KADS MIIDA
Since the 1980s, Kads Miida has been a prominent figure in Tokyo’s art and music scene. With his love for reggae and Jamaica, he has carved out a unique and well-deserved place for himself by blending the imagery that comes from this passion with traditional Japanese approaches.
“I think that after a brief period of graphical tendencies, there is a need for purely emotional painting [in Japan].”
How and when did your passion for art and reggae come together and create your own unique style?
I have been exposed to art since I was a child, when I discovered reggae and had a motif that I wanted to paint and leave behind as a memory in Jamaica. I think that core led to my current style.
Can you describe the main feelings and elements you like to reflect in your works?
For many years now, I have wanted my work and myself to be a part of nature, but now I also want to be impulsive.
From freestyle to graphic works, you work on different mediums and with different styles. There is diversity in your work, but is there an area where you feel more comfortable?
Right now, I’m focusing on freestyle and impulsive drawing, but I also see potential in three-dimensional works. I find graphics rewarding as well.
Do you think there are elements of Japanese art in your style?
Yes, I think that Japanese thinking and techniques are naturally present when reconstructing overseas motifs. I have become interested in Japanese motifs as I have gotten older, and I have rediscovered many of them. Particularly since the earthquake that took place in 2011, I have turned my attention from overseas to Japan, and together with the people I met throughout the country, I have been creating works that convey messages of recovery and succession. For example, I am also focusing on the production of traditional Japanese crafts such as lacquerware, pottery, and indigo dyeing.
You have experienced many decades in the art scene in Japan. How do you see the scene today compared to the past?
I am not in a position to summarise the entire scene in one word, but I think that after a brief period of graphical tendencies, there is a need for purely emotional painting.
KADS MIIDA’s favorite late night eating spot in TOKYO
I haven’t been eating out late at night recently so I don’t know, but in Tokyo, soba is recommended.
KADS MIIDA’s recommendations for a single day in TOKYO
There is a countryside in Tokyo too, about an hour’s train ride from the city center, where you can enjoy rivers and mountain climbing.
Road trips to take in TOKYO, recommended by KADS MIIDA
These trips can be to witness epic sceneries, mountains, historical sites or to arrive at certain destinations. Recently I’ve been going to Chiba Prefecture a lot. I particularly recommend the Minami Boso region, which is a beautiful countryside with the sea, mountains, and hot springs. And I won’t go into any other specific places, but I recommend shrines dedicated to ancient Japanese gods. I hope you’ll spend some special time in a sacred place that is separate from religion.
What KADS MIIDA misses most about TOKYO when abroad
Meals and baths. Steamed rice and miso soup are basic Japanese foods. Immersing my body in warm water in a bath is very relaxing.
TEENAGE KICKS: KADS MIIDA’s early influences in JAPAN
As for Japanese artists, there’s Taro Okamoto, who created the main art for EXSPO 1970 when I was 5 or 6 years old. After that, I became interested in comics in the lineage of Osamu Tezuka, and was influenced by the deformation of motifs and black and white landscapes. I also became fascinated with monster movies, and became interested in special effects techniques, especially background paintings and design of sculptures. I also became interested in art from the overseas.
