As a stationery brand, we are always curious how and what people use our stationery goods for. With this blog series, focusing on the hands at "work" and beyond, we ask five questions about the usage and meaning of the stationery tools to our friends in Los Angeles.
You probably are familiar with her work already if you follow us – for our twelfth post, we visited a favorite LA based artist, Oitama at her house in Highland Park neighborhood.
Q1. What do you do with POSCA, LIFE Notebook and Ito Bindery Drawing Pad?
ポスカの黒をずっと愛用していて、この１５年くらい毎日、手元から無くなったことはない気がします。家の中で何かラベルを書いたりするのにも使いますが、何より日々のドローイングで無くてはならない筆記具です。５年前日本からアメリカに引っ越してきた時は、もしポスカが手に入らなかったら困るなと思って２０ー３０本くらい予備のストックを持ってきました。が、画材屋さんで普通に手に入るし、というか、
I have been using the POSCA in black for a long time, and I don't think I have ever not to use it everyday for like 15 years. When I moved to the U.S. from Japan 5 years ago, I brought a stock of about 20-30 spare POSCA markers because I didn't want to have to worry about not being able to get them.
However, POSCA is widely available at art supply stores, in fact, I have recently noticed that the lineup is rather more extensive with products and colors that are not available in Japan! (lol)
ライフのノートは、外出する時に持ち歩いてドローイングやスケッチをするのに使っています。分厚くて重かったので半分に割いてみたらちょうど良い塩梅になりました。カバーが片面だけになりましたが、特に問題ないようです。切って良かったです。
I carry my LIFE notebook with me when I go out and use it for drawing and sketching. It was thick and heavy, so I split it in half and found it to be just right. The cover is now only on one side, but that doesn't seem to be a problem. I am glad I customized it.
Oitama customizes her notebooks and adds a hand-made pocket on the back cover.
伊藤バインダリーのＡ３ドローイング・パッドは、展覧会用の作品作りに向けたラフスケッチをするのに使ってみました。広々とした真っ白の画面がとても気持ちが良いです。
I use this A3 Drawing Pad by Ito Bindery to make rough sketches for my upcoming show. The spacious, pure white surface feels nice.
Q2. In our technology driven world, what does it mean to make things by your hand to you?
手を使って何かを描いたり作ったりすることがどうも単純に大好きみたいです。テクノロジーやインターネットも楽しいし好きですが、五感を働かせることを大切にしたいし、いきものとしての原始的な感覚を忘れたくないと思います。
I seem to simply love using my hands to draw or create something. Technology and the Internet are fun and I like them, but I’d like to appreciate the use of my five senses, and I don't want to forget the primitive sense as a creature.
Q3. Pencils or Mechanical Pencils?
うーん、どっちも使いますが、より好きなのは鉛筆かな。。
わたしにとってシャーペンはペンで代用できるけど、鉛筆は替えが効かないですね。
Hmm, I use both, but I prefer pencil…
For me, a mechanical pencil can be replaced by a pen, but a pencil is irreplaceable.
Q4. What’s in your pen case, pouch? Or how do you organize your stationeries?
持ち歩くペンケースの中は、ポスカ黒の太いの、細いの、その日の気分で選んだ黒のペン、あと気が向けば色の付いたペンかマーカーを１本、という感じです。
家では作業机の上にほとんど全ての筆記用具が出ています。ペンやマーカーたちは、黒インクのグループ、黒ではないけど筆記に向く濃い色のグループ、楽しい鮮やかな色のグループ、という３つに分けて、それぞれボトルに入っています。
In the pen case I carry around, I have a POSCA in black, both thick and thin, a black pen of my choice for the day, and one colored pen or marker if I feel like it.
At home, almost all of my drawing materials are out on my work desk. The pens and markers are divided into three groups of bottles: a group of black ink, a group of darker colors that are not black but are good for writing, and a group of fun bright colors.
Q5. What is your most favorite stationery?
ポスカは上で書いた通り、とってもお気に入りです。
あとは、わたしのものづくりの師匠から10数年前に貰った小ぶりなハサミ。刃先が繊細で細かい作業もお手のもの、切れ味もずーっと抜群です。師匠の作品やその背景にいつもある遊び心やユーモアを、このハサミを使う時によく思い出します。
POSCA marker is my very favorite, as I mentioned above.
I also have a pair of small scissors that my mentor gave me more than 10 years ago. They have a delicate edge and are great for detailed work, and the sharpness has always been excellent. When I use these scissors, I am often reminded of the playfulness and humor that was always present in my mentor's work and concept behind it. 
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Oitama is a LA based interdisciplinary artist and is a member of Saigo no Shudan, an animation collective. Currently, she is working on Linocut prints for a show in Thailand in August.
You can find Oitama's work at her IG account under @oitama
