Zoren Gold ＆ Minori’s Fantasy World

18 Oct 2006 Category: Features, Photography

Zoren Gold＆Minori met each other in LA and now work together in Tokyo as an artist duo: Zoren from Germany and Minori from Japan. They mix various techniques such as illustration, collage and graphics based on photography. Their sensual and fascinating imagery combines some LA flavor, bewitchery of Europe and the craziness of Tokyo. Today, PingMag invites you to Zoren Gold＆Minori’s fantasy world. So, please come in…

Written by Chiemi

Could you quickly introduce yourselves first, please?

I (Zoren) am German. I moved to LA in ‘95 and started my self-taught photography in ‘97 to then begin working as a freelance photographer in ‘98.

I (Minori) am Japanese. I graduated from Otis College of Art and Design in LA in ‘96, then started to work as a freelance illustrator/graphic designer. Since 2000, we’ve been working together and we moved to Tokyo in 2002.

How did you meet each other and how did you start to work together?

We met each other through an art director in LA who was working with Zoren on a project at that time. We liked each other’s work and started to talk about what would happen if we were to mix our skills using photography as the main medium. A little later, we started to work together.

How do you work together usually? Who plays which role?

It changes every time. We try to have a different approach and different point of view each time, because otherwise - it gets boring.

Is there any particular piece of your work, where people started to notice you?

Here in Tokyo, people started to recognize us after we did the album art for Japanese singer, UA: “Drobo” and her single “Senko”.

What have you been working on recently?

We joined BEAMS 30th anniversary event “TOKYO STYLE CLASH／HOT OR NOT” held at the International Gallery last weekend.

Oh yes, I’ve been there! That was a collaboration, a competition of BEAMS and Nick Knight’s SHOW Studio to select the best fashion in Japan. But what did you do there exactly?

We were chosen to do the showcase at the kick off party and we also did some photo shootings as one of nine photographers at the main event.

Your work has very tight connection to fashion and you must have seen fashion scenes in different cities. What do you think about the Japanese fashion scene, particularly in Tokyo?

We don’t know so much about fashion scenes in general, but here in Tokyo the scene is quiet rich. It seems to become less creative over the last few years, though, but there are always some surprises and unexpected moments every now and then!

Any other projects?

We finished making a music video with Miwa Sasagawa. This was the first one we directed, shot and edited by ourselves. We also did photography and art direction for Kahimi Karie’s new album “Nunki”.

Our first solo book, “Object that Dreams” has just been published by Die Gestalten Verlag on 4th October, too. (It’s going to be published in Japan very soon, please be patient ;-)

Nice! How did you happen to have a whole book published?

We send out some mails to people including one to Die Gestalten Verlag announcing the update of our new website. Robert, the publisher of Die Gestalten replied saying that he liked our work and he might contact us again about some future collaborations. Then, just 10 minutes later, he mailed again and offered us to do a solo book of our works.

So can we call this book “the best collection of your work” you’ve done so far? And is there any message from you to people who take a look?

We didn’t edit the book, so you can call it a selection of our works from the past to present. The message is simply “ENJOY!”.

What do you pay attention to most when working on a project?

After each photoshoot, we try to visualize the captured images in our minds, try to find a potential “essence” and bring that to the surface.

How would you describe your style?

Erotic, surreal, unexpected, a personal journey….

There is no conscious statement or hidden agenda behind of the images when we create. It is just a reflection of our unconscious thoughts and desires. A vision comes while playing with images.

Zoren and Minori, thank you so much for taking us to your fantasy world today. We are looking forward to see more of your work in the future!

15 Comments

1. Cool and twisted. Love it.

   Posted by: Cyberpukish on October 18th, 2006 at 10:45 pm

2. oh yEah~…so sexy art..

   make me crazy… yeah yeah yeah~!

   Posted by: x-noise on October 19th, 2006 at 12:37 am

3. i love the makeup and the art in it…a tad bit weird for my taste but still nice :)

   Posted by: Jonelle on October 19th, 2006 at 2:41 am

4. sorry..i have a question? huh
   is mi and zo get married?

   enjoy life together, include works.
   the love make two guys better performance.

   Posted by: x-noise on October 19th, 2006 at 9:49 pm

5. I really hope they would have an exhibition in Melbourne one day. Absolutely love it!

   Posted by: Wee Keat on October 20th, 2006 at 11:43 am

6. What bollocks.

   Posted by: Foo on October 20th, 2006 at 9:53 pm

7. Wierd.

   Posted by: Badger on October 24th, 2006 at 6:29 am

8. I´m amazed by ur artwork…it is so different and so close at the same time.

   Posted by: Eva on November 5th, 2006 at 11:22 pm

9. I’m stunned. Some of the most progressive work on the planet. Lovely. Thank you for making it.

   Posted by: The Flying Dutchman on November 26th, 2006 at 5:00 am

10. Hi!
    Looks like a nice site..aint been here for long but I like it already. Really good site, and a pleasant surprise.

    Posted by: CALEB on February 10th, 2007 at 1:19 am

11. really amzing & a work of freedom

    Posted by: neetesh on March 6th, 2007 at 6:36 pm

12. i have been looking at gold and minori’s work alot lately, the more i see and the more about them i discovery the more swept up and memorized i become, they are my inspiration. easy

    Posted by: Hermione on July 2nd, 2007 at 6:59 pm

13. [...] siehe auch Interview mit Zoren Gold & Minori im Pingmag [...]

    Posted by: modabot » Buch: "Object that Dreams" von Zoren Gold & Minori on July 5th, 2007 at 5:18 pm

14. Your pictures are soo weird but for some reason I like em. Allot.
    Kidding.

    um how come there is no picture of you because i’m doing a project on ya.
    And how come you take pictures of girls so revealing. I feel so offended.:(

    Posted by: jdxfkbgifdxhgobm on February 16th, 2008 at 10:43 am

15. Thank you for sharing your work. It is brave stuff and I have enjoyed it tremendously. It is a substantial achievement to be able to live and produce work so close to each other. This kind of idiosynchrasy is the only thing that can save us.

    Posted by: John Freeman on February 23rd, 2008 at 4:56 pm

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