As a part of the GEISAI∞infinity project curated by Takashi Murakami, James Jean recently held a solo show at Kaikai Kiki’s Hidari Zingaro in Tokyo. His new collection of work, titled Zugzwang, is a series of fantastical imagery rendered in blue, red, and pink, filled with demigods and cross-cultural characters. We spoke to James about his new work, living in Asia, and recent inspirations.

Neocha: Being born in Taiwan and growing up in the U.S., do you identify strongly with this part of the world? What’s different about having a show in Japan, or in other parts of Asia?

James: I’m an alien wherever I go. Though I grew up in the U.S., I’ve never truly felt at home there, and since my ability to read and speak Chinese is non-existent, I’ll never truly feel at home in Asia either. Perhaps it’s this sense of isolation that has driven me into making art in the first place. I actually spent most of this past year living in Japan, and I love the attention to detail and the shokunin spirit that’s pervasive throughout many aspects of society. But sometimes I think I’m re-enacting the trauma of my youth by living in places where I’ll always be an outsider and an observer.

Neocha: Where do you like to go when you travel? What were some of your favorite places or experiences during the process of putting up this particular show in Tokyo?

James: The most inspiring places I’ve been to of late have been in the hot, undeveloped regions of Asia. I lived in Southeast Asia for a year in 2013, and I recently returned from a week in Cambodia courtesy of the Igloo Hong Foundation. The lack of resources forces the people to improvise and assemble their lives in a way that creates a landscape full of texture and chaos. In contrast, Tokyo is a city of amazing infrastructure and thoughtful planning. My show was treated with great attention and care by Takashi Murakami’s staff, which allowed me the freedom to create a large triptych on-site in only couple of days before the show opened.

Neocha: What is Zugzwang? There’s a lot of animals, birds, fantasy, and almost deity-like figures in the work – what are some of the themes in these pieces from the show?

James: Zugzwang began as a series of drawings in my sketchbook. I had no preconceived notions of what I was doing, but the imagery began to resemble demigods and characters that contained elements and narratives from many disparate sources –mutants of culture. The series culminates in a piece called Pagoda II, which depicts a creature of ultimate decadence and doom.

Neocha: Tell us about your work process. Do you plan meticulously when you draw, or is your process more freeform? Why did you choose to only use a very selective number of colors for these pieces?

James: I was looking for a way to keep the series consistent, as if they all breathed and lived in the same atmosphere. I tend to go into work without forethought and decipher meaning afterwards. As soon as I combine imagery, a narrative is formed. Narrative is a mysterious force that occurs spontaneously between distinct elements, as one idea sparks a series of ideas that eventually resolve in a final image. It’s very difficult, if not impossible, for me to conceive of something all at once before starting. And it always changes along the way.

Neocha: How has your work process changed from now back to when you were doing comic covers and more commercial work?

James: When I was doing commercial work, I was still making personal work at the same time. So the process hasn’t changed that much. If anything, working on the computer so much instilled a sense of fear when I painted. There’s no commitment in working digitally, which is a curse. So it did take a little while before I could regain my original confidence after retiring from commercial work.

Neocha: Is there a particular image or idea you’re obsessed with?

James: There are motifs that recur frequently, such as foliage, spaghetti, veins, wedges of stratified land / cake. These elements form the landscape of my subconscious and constantly assert themselves in my compositions.

Neocha: What ideas are you really into currently?

James: There’s this one writer I’ve been listening to who speaks about resume virtues versus eulogy virtues, and the changing values among the generations. It mirrors the changes I face as I get older and navigate the world – living in L.A., the resume virtues of accomplishment and ambition reign supreme, but the eulogy virtues of humility, self-sacrifice, and compassion are set aside as everyone struggles for survival in an extremely competitive world.

Neocha: Physically and mentally, how does the process of painting and drawing / illustration differ for you? Can you hole up for an entire day, or days just painting? Is it a full-body experience? Do you listen to music or do anything else ritualistically to enable your work?

James: I can very easily isolate myself for days working on a piece. I usually listen to podcasts or have documentaries playing. I’m addicted to new information, even though I retain very little. The voices allow me to become less self aware about what it is I’m doing, which makes for a better picture and allows the process to surprise me along the way.

Neocha: What’s next on the horizon for you?

James: I’m working on another show for late 2016 and also more publications. I’m also building a new studio and we hope to finish it in a few months.

Neocha: If your superpower was that anything you draw can instantly become a 3D living breathing piece of reality, what would you create?

James: A pegasus.

Website: jamesjean.com
Instagram: @jamesjeanart

Contributor: Jia Li