An ongoing history with Noah Haruki

Painter and, recently-turned, ceramacist Noah Haruki connects with his heritage through his work. This will be Noah’s third time showing at Pride In Art, so we connected with him to see what he has been up to since 2023’s event.

Pride In Business: How do you navigate the balance between honoring traditional Japanese aesthetics and incorporating modern themes, such as homoeroticism, into your work?

Noah Haruki: Homoeroticism is not really a modern theme in Japanese painting and there are actually many examples of homoerotic works throughout Japanese History. Even famous artists like Suzuki Harunobu, Utamaro, and Hokusai dabbled in homoerotic work! I figure if the greats can do it, why not me too!

That said, my works tend to show men who have a more modern sense of masculine sex appeal. Bearded and bulky samurai can be easily found in the works of Tsukiyoka Yoshitoshi, but they were probably not seen as sexy back in the Edo period when they were drawn. So I like to borrow those kinds of images that I like from Japanese art to create my own version of Japanese homoerotic work.

*Noah Haruki – Queer Japanese Calgarian Artist*

PIB: From your early days of experimentation to your current mastery of traditional mediums, how has your artistic journey evolved over the years?

NH: The intention of my artwork has changed a lot over the years. In high school a lot of the art and media I consumed was in the form of animation and manga, so I always wanted to do my own comic set in the Edo period. I really loved unique art styles like the work of Satoshi Kon and Hayao Miyazaki, so I knew I wanted to have an art style that could stand out and feel interesting. I thought it would be cool to have a style that was influenced most by old Japanese art.

Even when I was young I understood that if I wanted to make a comic or story that felt authentic, I really had to research the time period and understand the lifestyle of people back then and the sense of aesthetics. People wouldn’t believe the story if it wasn’t true to the period. I spent countless hours researching and immersing myself in old Japanese art and culture. The drawings that I made became more and more elaborate, and when I started posting conceptual art online featuring strong queer themes my work really seemed to resonate with people.

Back in the Tumblr days, I started to gain a decent following, and every time I posted a new work someone would ask me if it was for sale! Since then, I’ve been working hard on improving my craft and working with traditional Japanese mediums to bring more value to the work that I make and to try getting closer and closer to the artwork that I admire.

*Noah Haruki – Queer Japanese Canadian Artist*

PIB: Your art serves as a platform to explore both your Japanese heritage and 2SLGBTQ+ identity. How do these intersecting identities influence your artistic expression?

NH: I think a lot of queer people have trouble reconciling their sexuality and cultural identity. Especially when their cultural background has a history of homophobia and persecution. Of course, queer people have been around in every culture since the beginning of sexuality, but it’s not always easy as a queer person to recognize your place in history. I hope that when people see my work they get that sense of belonging. That even though people try to cover it up or erase it, there has always been a legitimate place for us in history.

PIB: Japanese ink painting holds a significant place in your artistic repertoire. What draws you to this medium, and how does it convey aspects of your identity?

NH: Ink painting has always been a favourite of mine because I think it can be very impactful while being very simple. From an artistic standpoint I think it’s always a good challenge to limit the pallet and use only contrast to create a composition. It can teach you so much about art without getting caught up in colour theory. I really like the simplicity of it and how much information can be suggested by very minimal brush strokes.

PIB: Reflecting on your journey thus far, what do you consider your most significant achievement as an artist?

NH: I think just generally being able to make money creating art that I love is such an achievement. I know I’m very lucky as an artist to have gotten the recognition and attention that I’ve gotten. Doing a gallery show of my work in Tokyo this past year and talking to some of the art collectors there has also felt like a massive achievement. That my work is seen as credible and valuable in Japan really gave me a sort of permission to keep doing the work that I’m doing.

PIB: Your ceramic art has garnered attention, including commissions from Japanese restaurants. How does it feel to see your art integrated into spaces that celebrate both culture and cuisine?

NH: This was really a dream come true! When I first got into ceramics I thought that it would be so making to design and create work for a restaurant but I thought that it was just totally unrealistic. I was extremely lucky to be recommended for a large commission to work on sake warehouse for Lonely Mouth Bar and also Satsuki, two outstanding Japanese restaurants in Calgary. It’s hard to express how grateful I a, to these restaurants for trusting my designs and creative decisions.

PIB: As you continue to navigate the art world, what are your aspirations for the future, both personally and professionally?

NH: In the future I hope to produce more large scale work. I would really like to start making larger paintings and expand my ceramic production.

PIB: How has community support influenced your artistic endeavors?

NH: Getting community support and recognition for my work has been really important to me as an artist. There’s so much to learn from other artists in the community and opportunities for collaboration. I always thought of art as a very solitary endeavour for a long time but so many of my works have involved some sort of collaboration either in direct inspiration from some of the great photographers here or learning skills and techniques for ceramics from other potters. Artists and art collectors alike have really helped to guide some of my ideas and final art pieces.

PIB: How do you envision your art contributing to conversations surrounding cultural heritage and LGBTQ2S+ representation within the broader artistic community?

NH: I hope it encourages people to think more about the history of our community. People are very caught up with advancing or progressing our understanding of sexuality, but I think there are interesting lessons that can be learned by looking back at history and different cultures.

To experience Noah’s work and the work of other featured artists, get your tickets for the Pride In Art event on May 24, 2024 here.

Website: noahharukiart.com
Instagram: @samuraibara

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

**Ash Brar**
*PIB — Manager, Marketing Sponsorship*

Pride In Business article in partnership with TD.
By Ash Brar

An ongoing history with Noah Haruki

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

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