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Ghibli Background Artist Kazuo Oga Interviewed
posted on by Egan Loo
7&Y, 7-Eleven's online retail site in Japan, has posted an article from Tokuma Shoten's Goods Press The Premium vol. 1 magazine (released on March 26) as part of its special feature on Studio Ghibli background artist Kazuo Oga. The unofficial GhibliWorld.com website has posted a English-language summary of the five-page article. In the article, Oga describes how he entered the field of anime by answering an help-wanted ad for people "who like to paint." Oga discuss the process by which he creates his acclaimed watercolor paintings with ordinary poster paints and a particular set of brushes.
Oga created the background art for most Ghibli movies from My Neighbor Totoro and Mononoke Hime to the upcoming Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea. He also worked on several projects outside Ghibli including the Umigame to Shōnen (The Sea Turtle and the Boy) picture book. Last year, 300,000 people waited up to 100 minutes in line to visit an exhibition of his work at The Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo.
Image © 1988 Nibariki, Studio Ghibli
