"Creating new worlds in virtual space" - World-class VR artist Aimi Sekiguchi discusses potential of VR

How did you discover VR?

Sekiguchi Aimi (hereinafter, Sekiguchi): Before becoming a VR artist, I was a YouTuber, and I experienced VR through an interview for a certain media. I remember being surprised that I could draw in space, and it was like magic. At first, I got into it out of pure curiosity, and I became engrossed in drawing.

Did you study drawing?

Sekiguchi: I am completely self-taught. I loved drawing since kindergarten, and I drew in free style at that time. My kindergarten teacher, mother, and grandmother praised me a lot, saying, "You're amazing, you're good at it," and that's what made me genuinely love drawing.

One time, when I was asked about my dream for the future at kindergarten, I said I wanted to be an artist, and everyone said, "That's amazing, but you can't get a job at drawing."

I think they were saying it without any bad intentions and for the best, but I wondered, "Why, when there are people who make a living from drawing?", and before I knew it, my dream of becoming an artist was no longer an option for me.

I thought that drawing was just a hobby, so I started down a completely different path, but now I've come full circle and gotten a job where I can draw, which makes me very happy.

The feeling of creating a world in a virtual space

Isn't the feeling of drawing in VR different from the feeling of drawing on actual paper?

Sekiguchi: On the contrary, I think that difference is what makes it so much fun. For me, it's not like drawing a 2D picture, but rather the 360-degree 3D space of the virtual space becomes a canvas and it feels like I'm creating a world.

Creating a world and taking someone to a new world is something that can only be done in VR, and it has a wide range of expression. I hope to provide an opportunity for people who see my work to unleash and free their imagination.

Your art work "Alternate dimension: Gensou Kenran" was put up for auction on OpenSea and sold for 13 million yen. Please tell us the behind-the-scenes story of the production and how you felt when it was purchased.

Sekiguchi: It was the first work I put up for auction as an NFT, and I was surprised and happy when it sold at auction. Until then, there was no system for selling digital art itself. I often received a request from a client, created the work, and received a fee.

The good thing about client work is that it brings together many professionals, so you can create type of projects that you couldn't create on your own.

However, because the COVID-19 pandemic reduced my workload and I had more free time, I decided to just create something I like, so I created "Alternate dimension: Gensou Kenran." I was very happy that the work I created was valued after being exhibited.

Digital art was difficult to value because it can be easily copied, even if it was good, but I was happy that the original value was recognized through NFTs, and I felt like I was on the starting line as a VR artist for the first time.

Until now, I think there were few digital artists who had the feeling that they were doing the work on their own from scratch. When you get a client work and try to run the work smoothly, you end up creating something that the public wants without realizing it.

I think one of the things that attracts people to artists is the way they create work from a perspective that the world has never seen before, so I sometimes think that in the long run, they are far from leaving behind works that will be talked about for future generations.

Medieval European painters had patrons and created works that could be passed down to future generations, but I think NFTs may be a new system that replaces that.

▶︎ Alternate dimension: Gensou Kenran

The first NFT art by Aimi Sekiguchi. It was created with the concept of breaking through old stories and going to a new dimensional world. The winning bid was about 13 million yen.

You've tried various activities in the past, such as being a YouTuber and joining a theater company, right?

Sekiguchi: Personally, I try everything, and even if I fail miserably, I think there's something to learn from it. That said, if many people aren't happy, the work won't continue.

For example, I think that something that's fun to do but leaves everyone behind won't generate money. On the other hand, if you create a work in order to sell, your motivation will gradually decrease. I would like to explore the places where the creator is happy, the recipient is happy, and money is generated.

There's an old phrase, "win-win-win." What I felt in the process of being involved in various jobs was that if a win-win-win is created, things will run smoothly. On top of that, I think, "I want to aim for a win-win-win situation." I want to create a lot of happiness that is very rewarding, reaches people, and is good for the industry and the community.

I would like to create things that no one understands but that I think are great, using NFT as a way to leave them for future generations. I think there were many people who did interesting things but didn't get attention because they were too early. There are many things that I later think, "Come to think of it, isn't this something that person did?"

After I die, the things that Aimi Sekiguchi created in 2023 may be recognized as something amazing. I think it's wonderful that we live in an age where we can leave things in a decentralized way by recording them on the blockchain.

It's also important to dip your toe in

I think seeing someone like you, who continues to take on challenges every day, gives courage to many people.

Sekiguchi: I myself am also confused every day. It seems really cool that you perform overseas using various things such as NFTs and the metaverse, but in reality, you are confused and fail, and there are many times when you feel like you've messed up. In reality, it's a down-to-earth process.

I'm not the type to plan things, but I think I'm the type to just try things out and gain experience, so even if I get injured or fail, I want to grasp something by moving.

I think this is right for my life, but it may not be right when it comes to running a company. However, I want people who want to make it as an artist to try various things. It's very important to dip your toe in.

There are people who say, "I'm interested in the metaverse," but have never created an account, and there are people who say, "I want to do NFTs," but have not created a wallet, and I sometimes feel that it's a waste. The first thing to do is to take a step in. The information you get and the way you feel will change.

You've started receiving calls from all over the world after posting your artworks on social media. Is there anything you pay attention to when posting?

Sekiguchi: In the past, I just wanted people to see my work. But recently, I've been thinking that when it comes to art, something that gets a good reputation on social media doesn't necessarily mean it's a good work. There are many works stored in museums that don't get any likes at all. On the other hand, there are illustrations that get tens of thousands of likes that don't remain as art works.

One thing I think we need to be careful about is that social media can help me broaden the scope of my work, so I want to use it carefully. However, we shouldn't get too excited or upset about the good or bad reactions. People are influenced by many things, but I think we need to have the mentality to not do that.

When I thought I'd made a great piece, I thought the reaction was weak, or a piece that I thought still had a lot to offer was appreciated more than I expected. In the end, it's not up to me to decide how my work is evaluated.

When I first posted a work on social media, I thought I still had a lot to learn, so I showed it to a friend, who said, "It's a work no one has ever seen before and it's amazing, so you should put it out there," so I did. The response was greater than I expected, and I started getting work. That's when I decided to stop making my own decisions.

Since then, I've made a habit of posting all my work, even if I feel it might be rejected. I think that in the long run, you'll grow more if you just put things out there and get hurt sometimes, rather than hole yourself up for years and create.

A harmony between technology that expands the possibilities of art and the emotions that can only be experienced in real life

Are there any differences in the way users perceive and feel about art in Japan and overseas?

Sekiguchi: I don't think there's much difference between Japan and the world when it comes to VR art. Wherever I go, people of all ages and genders are amazed and enjoy it. It's like, "Wow!" That's when I became even more convinced that VR art resonates with people's hearts.

The metaverse and NFTs in the Web 3.0 realm are new, so I feel that there are individual differences in how people feel and interpret them. In Japan, VR art event venues are buzzing, but once you step outside, you're like, "What's that?"

The same is true overseas, where it is still not widely recognized. There is no country where the whole country is excited about it, and there are people in each country who make it the center of their lives.

As for whether Japan is not excited, I think that Japan's creative side is leading the world at an incredible speed. Japan also has a very high level of avatar quality. I think we are now at the stage where a small fire is burning in various countries.

What are the merits of digital and physical worlds?

Sekiguchi: Digital has the potential to expand our possibilities. We can access a vast amount of information and knowledge that we have never had before, and it can expand the possibilities of art. On the other hand, deep in our hearts, we long for experiences that we can feel with our physical skin.

When it comes to live painting, you can come into contact with real people, so you can feel an overwhelming sense of "life." I think that for people today, going back and forth between the two can lead to great happiness, so I try to use both digital and physical media in my exhibitions.

Using the convenient tool of digital, you can come into contact with people and nature. The inspiration you get there can then be fed back into the digital world. I think that if we can bring the emotions that can only be felt in real life into the digital space, we can create a special world.

Creating something that liberates the human imagination

Please tell us about your future plans.

Sekiguchi: I believe that NFTs and the metaverse are not a passing fad, but have great potential for humanity. I want to use them to create works that combine the digital and physical, and to create meaningful works that liberate the human imagination.

I would like to expand overseas and into space. Even after I no longer exist, I would like to leave my works on the metaverse. I would like to try things that move me now, without being bound by anything.

Any message you'd like to send to our readers?

Sekiguchi: I think many of you reading this see the potential in the metaverse. The COVID-19 pandemic has shifted everyone's attention to the web, so I think the progress and attention of technology, including VR, has accelerated much faster than expected.

So it may calm down for a while. However, if you think about it calmly, I think it is a technology that will bring new experiences to humanity.

I think it would be good if we could liven up this industry together and pursue what we want to do, without being influenced by things like "it's popular right now," with the feeling that we are creating a new future together. I would be happy if we could create a wonderful future together, instead of waiting for the future.

Create the future, instead of just waiting for it

That's what I am

Profile

◉ Aimi Sekiguchi

VR/AR/MR/NFT Artist. CEO of MUSOU Inc. Member of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's "Study Group on Creating a Creator Economy in the Web 3.0 Era" and the Cabinet Office Intellectual Property Secretariat's "Public-Private Collaboration Conference on Addressing New Legal Issues Surrounding Content on the Metaverse." She has been doing 3D paintings on the metaverse since 2016, and in March 2021, her own digital art was sold at an NFT auction for approximately 13 million yen. In the same year, she was selected as one of the "Forbes Japan 100." While producing a wide variety of art works as a VR artist, she is expanding her scope of activity by performing VR performances not only in Japan but also overseas.