Paintings
DENNIS SUN
サン デニス
CREATIVE ARTIST
Painting, Graphic Design, Illustration
Writing, Sculpture, Photography...
An Interview: DENNIS SUN
After 2 years of absence in the Tokyo art scene, Dennis Sun comes back in full force doing a 3-month long show of his artistic creations. Going to his latest art exhibition, Love, Light & Laughter, one gets transported into a different world filled with a kaleidoscope of bright vivid colors and jolly jubilant creatures. His works fill the whole place with warm sunshine, charming smiles and tender affections. This time, Dennis Sun collaborates with Tully’s Coffee, a giant coffee company that rivals Starbucks in Japan.
Q: Why didn’t you do art shows for the past 2 years?
Dennis Sun: I was very busy with my work for the Japanese government in labor and education. It took so much of my time and energy that, after work, all I wanted was relax.
Q: Isn’t making art relaxing?
DS: Well, it is to a certain point. Once I start to paint, it would be unstoppable that sometimes, it becomes too much like work itself. Once I get high with the creative spirits, I sometimes forget to eat. And the worse thing that could happen is I tend to paint even after midnight that lasts till the early morning dawn. I had been like this for a long time and it was not healthy. It was taking a toll on my health.
Q: You always do exhibitions at coffee shops and restaurants?
That’s true. Not that I hate doing shows at galleries. I just feel that galleries are a bit too intimidating for people to enter. They have this image of being indifferent, expensive, and unwelcoming. I want to show my art to different kinds of people especially to people I don’t know. I want to create new friends and new fans of my work.
Also, in a gallery, one cannot stay for a long time. Even I feel a pressure when I enter a gallery to see some works of other artists. It’s hard to stay long and relax because I am not a buying client. I just go there to appreciate and enjoy the art. Whereas, if it’s in a café setting, people who come to see your artworks can relax, take their time and enjoy the visual feast the artist had prepared for them.
Dennis Sun's partial
exhibition area at
Tully's Coffee in
Shinjuku, Tokyo
Q: What made you choose Tully’s Coffee this time?
It was referred to by my friend and I applied. When they saw my work, they fell in love. Instead of giving me a one-month duration, they said I could do a show for the whole year. 12 months is quite too long for an exhibition as I wanted to do shows at other places as well, so I opted for 3 months that would coincide with the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics. And the shop location is so perfect that it is conveniently located in central Tokyo in Shinjuku, a minute away from Shinjuku Gyoen National Park, and also very near where I stay.
Q: How is this exhibition different from the other shows you did before?
This one is an interactive exhibition. I wanted the people to join the fun. I didn’t put titles on the paintings. So anyone could make a title and send it to me. If I choose the title, I will give a signed poster to the winner. Also, I encourage people to take selfies with my paintings and post them on FB or Instagram. The more “likes” they get, the more chance they can get a special prize!
Q: Your exhibition’s title is “Love, Light & Laughter”. What’s it all about?
I wanted to help in my small way through my art in giving hope to the people in this time of uncertainties. Because of the pandemic, I wanted people to see my work and focus and spread positive energies of love, light and laughter.
Q: How would you describe your work? What is the message of your work?
The theme of my work is The Inner Child. I use plenty of bright colors and happy characters of animals and toys to invoke the inner child of everyone. I want their inner child to come out, and become childlike even for a while…to be happy and have fun. I know there is a little child inside of us that wants to play!
Q: Do you have a favorite work in the exhibition?
I love all my works like children. But since you’ve asked, maybe, I do. It’s the small painting hanging on the wall along the stairs. I was painting one time not knowing what to paint, and suddenly, when I finished it, I fell in love with the results. My title for it is “Calm After The Storm” and it shows a few bees going out after a rain. Whenever I look at it, I feel a sense of peace.
Q: What do you do when you don’t like the painting you finished?
For me, technically, a painting is not finished as long as it’s still with me even if I have signed my name on it already. If I am not satisfied, I continue to change or add different things. Sometimes, I see one painting during exhibition and I feel it’s lacking of something. When I bring it home, I change it again.
Q: What's next after this exhibition?
Right now, I am preparing for an outdoor exhibition in Shinjuku. I have been talking with the Shinjuku government office in Tokyo and we are planning something exciting. I really wanted to show my artworks to as many people as I can so I think the next venue will help me do that.
The show runs until October 22, 2020. Order an ice-chilled cafe latte and enjoy a different kind of experience that the exhibition will bring you into. And Dennis invites, "Please come anytime you are free. Wear your mask and practice social distancing." Finally, Dennis adds with a smile, "Don't forget to bring your INNER CHILD with you!"
