Making "Dot Patterns" More Interesting

Introducing "Ideas to Make XX More Interesting" from Dentsu Inc.'s young art directors. This time, Hiromi Uzaki presents "Making Dot Patterns More Interesting."

──Why did you choose "dot patterns" as your theme?

Uzaki: I wanted to create a sense of dissonance with something familiar, and I was searching for a simpler, more graphic motif, which led me to dots. I was vaguely thinking about how to make it a bit more interesting when I saw a photo on social media of a cat photographed from below—it was incredibly fun. I thought, "What if I photographed a hamster from below? Would it look round?" That's when I decided.

For the shoot, I crafted a large hamster enclosure by modifying acrylic sheets myself. I had the hamster stay inside, photographed it from below with a wide angle, and later rearranged the shots to form the dot pattern. The hamster moved around surprisingly often, making the initial shoot quite challenging, but I eventually mastered baiting it (laughs). The leftover food the hamster dropped also became a nice accent.

Luring the hamster with a carrot.

Not only did it eat the food, but it also washed its face and made all sorts of expressions. I think if you look closely, it makes for a very cute picture.

──Tell us about something you're interested in lately.

Uzaki: Hermit crabs. I picked one up on a whim during clam digging and decided to keep it. When I looked into it, I found tons of hermit crab shells for sale, just like a fashion shopping site, and they're all incredibly cute. I'm also fascinated by the patterns on naturally formed shells and collect them. Lately, I enjoy going to the sea to search for shells for my hermit crab.

Another thing is making accessories while experimenting with new materials. I love the smooth texture of plaster and wondered how I could use it. That's when I found resin-reinforced plaster. It retains the texture of plaster but gives a hard finish. Because of plaster's nature, it absorbs moisture easily, so I discovered you can drip aromatic oils onto it, allowing you to wear fragrance. Moving forward, I'm thinking of making not just accessories, but also flower vases and lampshades.