The Kyoto Archive of Art by People with Disabilities

From a distance, KIMURA Masahiko’s drawings look like they are composed of many dots. However, upon a closer look, the dots turn out to be more like zig-zagging tree branches or "cuneiform", one of the earliest systems of writing. These zig-zag shapes are given a nickname, "Cuni Cuni", after the Latin word. Though many of his works feature a deep color palette, and the zig-zagged edges make you feel uneasy, they still draw your attention. The wedge-shaped prints are sometimes laid over the top of a complementary color, and other times a similar one, which creates a unique visual effect.

KIMURA’s motifs can be his interests or the latest news at the time, or sometimes they are related to his local scene, and he decides them after speaking to the support staff from his facility. When he draws, he looks frequently at a picture or document of the motif and draws it densely, gripping several colored pencils in his left hand. Because Kimura's "Cuni Cuni" begin in the details and increase from there, sometimes it ends up that only a part of the motif fits on the canvas. As he engages himself with finishing his drawings until he is exhausted, he stops and spends time flipping through a magazine before he moves on to his next work.

Previously, KIMURA used to do sketches for pottery at Kyoto City Fushimi Gakuen. But when the facility opened as Atelier ’Yoo-hoo!’, he joined the activity and has since started drawing properly. In contrast to his dynamic pictures, the artist is very relaxed and is even goofy. He likes variety shows and horse racing very much, and he has even memorized the entirety of an episode of "Waratte Iitomo". He does live coverage of an imaginary horse race (his punch line always involves a jockey falling off his horse), and he cheers everyone up at a stretching program at the Atelier.

Occasionally, KIMURA will draw something from his head, but, to our surprise, these become cute illustrations done with hesitant lines, and no "Cuni Cuni" appear at all.