Occupation:
Artist
Time in Japan:
Over fifteen years
Where are you from?
I was born in New Zealand but I' Greek.
What do you do?
I paint, direct video clips, I'm an art director-I do many kinds of work in many different
expressions, such as pop and Renaissance art.
Why Renaissance art?
Renaissance art has its roots in philosophy and cosmology, so the artists were
considerably influenced by Greek artists. Greek artists were very much into philosophy and
cosmology - they were trying to express spiritual meaning or concepts through their art.
That's something that is missing in art today-spirituality, philosophy. Today there's much
more pop art, which is what I'm doing now, based on expressions and the diversity of life
in the city. It's a very materialistic thing, really. Pop culture ended in the '80s and
has been repeating itself with just different variations. There was a time when I couldn't
go any further so I stopped doing pop art and concentrated more on Renaissance art.
Renaissance art was like a breakthrough.
How did you get started?
My first exhibition was in 1985 and it went very well. I had many offers from companies
after that, and did a lot of art direction and campaign posters. Japanese companies were
easy to work for because they gave me the freedom to do my own art.
Who are your biggest influences?
Leonardo Da Vinci and Titian. They are the only artists who have understood and expressed
the real purpose of art.
What do you like about Japan most?
The people are very polite, kind and honest. They have common sense. In other parts of the
world, you always have to be careful. But in Japan, I can be more relaxed, I hardly have
any trouble and I hope the rest of the world learns from this.
What do you dislike?
The space concept. The Japanese like to live indoors and this is very difficult for a
Greek because in Greece, everything is outdoors. We eat, play, even sleep outdoors. It's
probably because of the weather but lately there are many outdoor cafes opening here so
this means that the Japanese could have had open cafes years ago; the weather didn't
change overnight.
Do you organize your CDs alphabetically?
No, never. I organize them by genre and then set aside the ones I listen to most.
If you could take one thing back from Japan to your native country, what would it be?
Teamwork. Greeks have strong personalities and hate to work in teams. They like to be
self-employed, etcetera so that's one thing I would bring back to Greece, but I'd also
bring more independence to Japan.
Where would you like to be when the big one hits?
I don't believe it will happen!
Where would you like to be on New Year's eve of 1999?
The big question is, is the end of the century 1999 or the year 2000? This takes half the
pleasure away! When is the new millennium starting? I'd most like to be having a show in a
museum because it's a message for the new era: the message that art is spiritual, and
people should try to see the causes in life and not just the results. Art is always a
message.
You have to spend the rest of your life trapped on the Yamanote line. You're allowed to
take one book, one CD and one luxury item. What would they be?
The book would be "Conversations with God." The CD would be one by Marc-Antoine
Charpentier. The luxury? Nothing. Life is simple - I don't need anything else.
To see some of Harry's art call 3951-1853 or join his fan club by calling 3993-2251.
Occupation:
LIFE IN JAPAN: