A Conversation With Kazuhiro Tsuji

A conversation with Kazuhiro Tsuji from Major POP on Vimeo.

Of all the art I have seen in recent years, his is to me the most impressive. It's not because of my love for Andy Warhol, who is a repeat subject of his, but because of the utter perfection and mastery of his work. He is best known for his special-effects work in the film industry, for which he has won multiple awards, however his larger-than-life, hyper-realistic 3-D portraits are what really grabbed me. He has only created a few of them - of Abraham Lincoln, Dick Smith (his mentor), and Andy Warhol - but to stand in the presence of his work is to experience true awe and bewilderment. Wondering how he is able to create such detailed, lifelike art boggles the mind.

To satisfy my curiosity, I recently flew out to Los Angeles to meet with Kazuhiro Tsuji, who graciously agreed to sit with me. Kazuhiro told me that he moved to the US from Japan many years ago to pursue special effects but that his true passion is art. In fact he left the film industry last year to pursue his portraiture work. Personally, I can't wait to see what he does next. I hope you enjoy the interview.

Thanks to Kazuhiro Tsuji,Fernanda Malta and Jhon Gordon.