‘Happiness Princesses’ to be displayed at Expo 2020

Jamil Khan, Senior Reporter

Akira Yamada, a self-taught Japanese artist, has been given a unique task to create a series of paintings based on his own technique ‘crystal tablet’ which will then be displayed at Expo 2020. Yamada said this was an honour for him and an opportunity to spread the energy of happiness all around the world.

Yamada, who was born in 1962 in Yokohama city, 30 km away from the capital Tokyo in an exclusive interview with Gulf Today in Dubai, talked about his journey as an artist and about showcasing his paintings in the upcoming Expo 2020.

“It was my honour to be in Dubai for the first time. I met with a number of art-lovers and patrons and I was assigned for my first project for Dubai under the theme of “Princesses of Happiness Dubai,” a series of four paintings to showcase the Emirate through its various aspects including beauty, modernity, and its deep heritage and historic roots,” he said.

Yamada has self-taught a unique technique which he has termed ‘Crystal Tablet’. His technique is to crush crystal stone in five different proportions and blend with mica stones and powdered pearls which is then used as the base of his artworks. Through a series of processes, the material is created to use crystal stone, mica stone, pearl powder, and such other hard materials and most importantly gold, which is one of the most prominent ingredients of his paintings.

He has been creating artworks for the last 25 years in Japan and showcased his artworks in different parts of the world. He received not only various awards and medals but is also recognised as one of the original artist to create his own techniques by leading art institutes in Germany, Spain, Monaco and Japan.

“I wanted to become a businessman but the artist within me was triggered by a series of dreams in which 12 princesses appeared every time as these dreams continued for one week. The impression was so powerful that after 25 years those dreams are still unforgettable. It changed my life dramatically and I turned towards the art without having a degree in the subject,” he said.

Last year he met a prominent Dubai-based businessman, Mohamed Al Noori, who asked him to create a series of 4 artworks on the theme of “Princesses of Happiness Dubai” and use his very own technique of ‘Crystal Tablet’.

“The idea and its theme was so impressive and I felt a very strong energy. And without any delay I decided to carry out this project as I was convinced that there is ‘an answer in Dubai for my 25-year old dream. I immediately returned to Japan and promised Al Noori that I will not put my brush dry until I finish the series of ‘Princesses of Happiness Dubai’ artworks. I have completed the first ‘Princess of Happiness Dubai’ as the four princess are representing the four directions East, West, North and South,” he said.

He mentioned that to create the first princess, he used ‘sacred sand of Dubai’ and mixed together with his own technique. “Through the series of Princesses of Happiness Dubai the energy of happiness will spread among the people all over the world through Dubai as it is here I was guided to follow my dream. I wish that people from all over the world come to Dubai for Expo 2020 to get the energy of happiness through my artworks and spread to wherever they go,” he said.

“It took me four months to complete one piece as the remaining will be completed before the end of this year and once it is completed we will invite Dubai residents to choose titles for these pictures which will be showcased in Expo 2020,” he said.

Yamada has created a number of paintings in the last 25 years which  he showcased all over the world. Besides creating his artworks of Mount Fiji, a series of 12 princesses and scores of others have been sold to private collectors, prominent businessmen in Singapore, China, Japan and other parts of the world. “I have created a number of paintings on the demands of my clients that comprises businessmen, celebrities and patrons from upper class societies of many countries,” he said, declining to disclose the price of his work which he described as a “secret.”