It has motivated me in my work more than ever. Fujinuma has the technical strength and creative force, the grounded confidence necessary to become one of the great bamboo artists of his generation. Fujinuma is an unconventional artist who nonetheless recognizes that he must continue to work his way up in the conservative exhibitions world. One trusts that the work he does for himself will continue to sustain him. Pragmatic and patient, he must succeed without compromising his integrity, being flexible like the bamboo he works with, bending when he needs to bend and yet retaining the inner strength necessary to invent and to create.
Traditional craft can come into alignment with modern art.
Everything is, of course, a challenge. To develop skill is very important, but you cannot rely on it too much. It may take you where you did not intend to go. It seems to me, as an artist, that what matters most is who you are as a person, how you live and perceive life, and the most critical thing is how deeply you believe in yourself as you create. Having this faith is most important.