♪♪
-How do my art communicate to the world?
You know, people create something,
and that visual affects people's feelings and memories.
And, you know, art and mural doesn't talk,
but it speaks to you, and it have some kind of communication.
My name is Shogo Ota.
I am an artist, designer,
in Camano Island.
I have been printed with my art
into scarves, jerseys, wine bottles.
I recently did a gin and vodka for a local company,
silkscreen printed posters, mugs.
Yeah, everything, everything you see, yes.
My hometown is Gifu Prefecture.
I actually wanted to go to university in Japan,
but I failed all exams.
Went to Idaho and started studying English.
Never thought about it being a professional artist or designer.
Five years later, I moved to Seattle
for this internship for graphic design company.
I made a poster for just fun.
I submit it to the local newspaper called "The Stranger"
in Seattle, and then they used it for cover art.
Then I started my own studio.
I decided to use the name,
the name of the guy, Tireman, and Tireman Studio.
And it's been like about 12, 13 years.
Lots of people ask me my style,
which I do not have just one style.
One person called me, "Oh, you have a style like a chameleon."
I have drawn chameleon before, yes.
There's a big mural in SODO.
It's like 100-foot-wide big chameleon piece
on the warehouse.
I do love making things to surprise people, yes.
I like their reactions,
and I like my art becoming their memories and surprise moments
and, you know, even like small gift,
you know, make them a little happy, you know?
I love that.
I work with Sounders and Krakens,
Seattle Krakens, and now Seattle Reign.
When my art becomes jerseys and scarves,
yes, I feel really special
and being a part of the community and the team
at the same time.
That's, you know, one of the, you know, achievements
every time I work on it.
♪♪
So, I have done World Cup poster,
Seattle poster that was competitive work.
So I have to submit my portfolio and a sketch first,
and I heard over 200 people submitted.
I was really proud and surprised that I got selected
and won that competition.
So this is my original sketch.
You know, I usually write down the theme
and what they're looking for and key, you know, words.
That's the orca tail with Lumen Field arch on top part together
and then Seattle map inside in really abstract way.
I like those visual ideas that gives you answer right away.
So it almost communicates right away,
and then, "Oh.
I think that's one of the biggest achievements I've done.
World Cup is I think one of the biggest sports events
in the world. Means a lot,
and I feel really lucky about that.
I do love seeing my art actually in the real world.
Sometimes I see people wearing it
randomly in the city.
That makes me really happy and feels my art is alive.
Going to FIFA World Cup was definitely one of my bucket list
you know, since I was little. Many people will see that
and then, like, especially for younger kids,
might come visit Seattle for the World Cup
or sightseeing around that time.
If my poster became their kind of visual memories,
like, you know, 10, 20 years later,
"Oh, I remember I went to Seattle with my parents,
and the World Cup was going on, and I saw that orca whale poster
and I used to have that in my room," you know?
So my art can create that kind of memories for small kids
or, you know, any people.
I think that's really amazing.
So, this mural project is for the city of Bellingham.
I'll be working on that next couple weeks.
I'm thinking some kind of cool, high contrast,
like, Pacific Northwest animals in there.
The movement of pencil helps me a lot.
It's almost conversational process.
I can use that visual for giving myself some feedbacks
and then draw something new and then edit a little bit
and make it better and better little by little.
I think it's pretty close to that sketch.
I didn't change the concept much.
It's just the little details.
So, it's like a big circle shape,
and there's two animals, a big salmon on the bottom.
You know, tail is on the top,
and then Mount Baker because this is Bellingham,
a little sun there, and the eagle's flying over.
People usually check our works like on a cellphone or computer.
But if you actually be there and then see how big it is,
and the energy from the art is totally different from screens.
Yeah, I love what I do. That makes me keep going and happy,
because I cannot do this by myself.
I always need to work with the team
or clients or community, you know?
And all my projects are different,
but always with someone.
So I love the connections and teamwork and the results.
Already, like, people, you know, they're kind of walking by here
and gave us lots of good compliments,
like, "Oh, that looks so cool."
They already taking photos of it.
Yeah. [ Laughs ]
Art is really part of the community and people's life
and good inspirations and everything,
like really good vibes. Yeah.
♪♪