Pongri Ryohei Okuno (b.1980) lives in Japan.
click to watch Pongri's process
Pongri Ryohei Okuno creates art and music with those with disabilities while at the same time pursuing his own creative practice. Not committed to a single medium, Pongri's work travels through a range of styles including painting, illustration, art made with repurposed wood, and textile art.
He came to see drawing as cool after encountering the work of cartoonist Akira Toriyama as a child, and his curious nature lead him to begin modifying bicycles and customizing chairs on his own. Through this, he discovered the joy of creating. Today, he continues to pursue his art as a way of maintaining mental balance in his life.
Pongri doesn't have a set technique for creating his work. Instead, his omnivorous approach leads him to incorporate an ever-changing lineup of his favorite techniques, including detailed illustrations and woodcut prints, all spiced with his indispensable sense of humor.
Strongly influenced by the things, people, and music he has encountered through his travels, he is particularly interested in getting a glimpse of the feelings of minority groups and occasionally attempting to walk in their shoes. Upon returning to everyday life, Pongri creates records for himself using lines, points, and objects to prevent him from forgetting these experiences. Through this, incarnations of the range of human emotions are born. Bringing up feelings that are difficult to express in our everyday life can sometimes result in deep pain or situations that can't be taken back. However, releasing and caring for these feelings results in a sense of safety and peace that gives us the mental space we need to be able to show kindness to others. Shining light on the recycled materials he uses as drawing materials and the scrap wood used for his frames, Pongri's work is full of found objects that stand out from the everyday. His work is like a quest in search of these discoveries.