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TOP ->2015/11/24 YOSHI SUGAHARA CANVAS ART THEATER act.1 「BRUCE LEE」
In presence of HERO ART.
Don't Think! Feeeel.

The first official released artwork to commemorate Bruce Lee's 75th anniversary
by "Bassara" which is presided by Bruce Lee Enterprises certified illustrator YOSHI SUGAHARA.
(C) Bruce Lee Enterprises, LLC.
All Rights Reserved.
Artwork by Yoshi Sugahara

YOSHI SUGAHARA CANVAS ART THEATER act.1 「BRUCE LEE」
「The Jeet Kune Do Man」Remaster 2015
「His Real Face」Remaster 2015
「The Yellow Faced Tiger」Remaster 2015

  
[Ordering term] From November 24th (Tue) 2015 0:00 to Dec 31st (Thu) 2015 23:59
We interviewed Mr.YOSHI SUGAHARA who created YOSHI SUGAHARA CANVAS ART THEATER act.1 「BRUCE LEE」
――Tell us why you chose these 3 artworks for the first official release artworks of Bassara to commemorate Bruce Lee's 75th anniversary.

To me, <Bruce Lee> is a really special person since I was in elementary school and is still special.
As a guiding light of life, he has given me the strength to organize things under variety of situations and gave me power to make determinations.
If I have not met him, I think my life had been completely different.
These 3 artworks, "The Jeet Kune Do Man", "His Real Face" and "The Yellow Faced Tiger" are certainly important elements
that symbolizes Bruce Lee. However, the most important thing to me is that they are all Bruce Lee.
I am sincerely pleased to be able to release these items on his 75th birthday.

――Please tell us how you became Bruce Lee Enterprise's certified illustrator.

In the summer of 2007, Shannon visited Japan for Bruce Lee's official event held in Roppongi and my artwork was used as the main visual for the event.
She loved the artwork so much and gave me the opportunity.
It is a great honor, but at the same time, I feel great responsibility.

――We have an impression of unique and delicate watercolor touch on your art work.
How did you establish your style? Is there an artist you have been influenced?

It is of course Bruce Lee. I slide the Jeet Kune Do philosophy into artwork in the interpretation of my own. Finishing touch is only the result and
the basic stance of the creative process are always <formless form> and <style without style>.
The art tools or technique are not my priority.
You might have similar impression on my artwork, but it is not intentional.
It's just my nature.

――How did you start the fictitious movie flyer conceot "fake flyer series"?

I am always interested in new expressions. It is not the techniques but my feelings towards the ideas that I am interested in.
Movie flyer is just a <publicity material> so the flyer itself is not the main thing.
It is just a commercial tool to convey and advertise "the movie".
I tried to turn over its scheme. To draw illustrations as a <publicity material>, make an original advertizing copy and configure the space of B5 size.
I felt it was stupid but fun to think up of fictitious phrases which will not be used as an actual advertisement.
Movie flyers has been maintained in the same shape and size for a long time so you can say that it is a completed collectors item in many ways.
It is a completed material, in other words it is very suitable to feature as a parody.
The source of the idea is "There is no other thing like this".
President Akashi of MEDICOM TOY understood the idea and gave me an opportunity to launch these products.

――Most of your artworks are based on hero characters.
Did you want to be a hero in your childhood? Please tell us if you have any reasons.

I spent my childhood in the 1970s which was a very unique era historically.
There were many special effect TV shows for children.
Many transforming heros embodied variety of philosophy on TV.
I think I received very important lessons from them.
I learned very important and necessary <concepts> for human life.
In my art expression, as one of those who grew up in this era, the message to my generation is to <reconfirm the common language>,
and for the new generation is to <pass it forward to the next generation>.
The reason why many of my artwork is related to heros is probably because I grew up in this kind of background I myself is aware of the <inevitability>.

――Please tell us about this project with C.J.MART and the feature of the artworks.

I had been wanting to obtain <free of size> on canvas format for a long time.
If there are no bounds in sizes, I can create the <artwork> as small or large as I want and people can see your art without the restricition of size.
I believe in the phrase <there are things which makes sense reproduced in large sizes>.
I am excited that I had embodied my feature through C.J.MART.

――Tell us about your plans and aspirations for the near future.

I am still too excited for this project now so I cannot think about the future yet.
However, I am happy if there are happy encounters through <destiny> or <flow>.

November 2015
YOSHI SUGAHARA

From the perspective of HERO,
creating illustrations for figure packages, video and music software jackets.
Producing the artwork illustration for RAH220 series figure package and RAH-DX series from
TIME HOUSE-MEDICOM TOY since 1998.

The unique fake flyer series are serialized in a total of four magazines
such as "Uchusen" and "Tokusatsu Ace" and are also used as novelties.
Deploying the brand, "Sugahara Yoshihito Plan" from BANDAI since 2007.
Released T-shirts, MA-1 jackets, aloha shirts and iPhone case and etc.
Also the official illustrator for "Bruce Lee Enterprises" and the executive director for Bruce Lee Foundation Japan.
President of Studio Bassara

Official website『SUGAHARA VOX』
https://www2.tbb.t-com.ne.jp/yoshi.sugahara/
A recommendation letter by Yorinaga Nakamura, the chairman of Bruce Lee Foundation Japan.
75 years has passed after Bruce Lee was born on earth.
Bruce Lee has been loved all over the world regardless of race, gender and age.

Now, the official artworks to commemorate his 75th anniversary has been launched!
The artist YOSHI SUGAHARA is a Bruce Lee Enterprises certified illustrator and an executive director of Bruce Lee Foundation Japan, also my longtime sworn friend.

Noteworthy thing about Yoshi Sugahara's Bruce Lee illustration is that he can draw from unexisting photographs and doesn't exaggerate his face,
physical characteristics and appearance. And the other thing that keep attracting me is not just it looks alike,
but his drawing technique is very much like a martial art "Jeet Kune Do" created by Bruce Lee.

It is a super high technique of drawing which is not to print over colors. He uses fever brush strokes and shows as if the character is jumping out.
This sophisticated "simplicity" stimulates my heart.
Only Yoshi Sugahara is able to draw like this because he is in full love over Bruce Lee and studied the Jeet Kune Do philosophy.

Yoshi Sugahara's witty unconventional original illustrations are vividly and faithfully reproduced in Giclee Print on Canvas!
This commemorate artwork is a gem and you definitely want to decorate it in your space.
Yorinaga Nakamura

Bruce Lee Foundation Japan (chairman)

IUMA日本振藩國術館（Jeet Kune Do）
https://www.bruceleejkd.com/

USA修斗協会（SHOOTO）
https://www.usashooto.com/