I was born and grew up in Sapporo, Hokkaido, where it snows four months a year.
kids in Sapporo are taught to ski at school from a young age, probably from a safety perspective in the same way that Australian kids learn to swim from a young age.
People in Sapporo are used to negative temperatures, so when the temperature become to 1°C, they are happy and say, "It's warm today".
People in Hokkaido are said to be more depressed due to lack of sunlight, but I didn't dislike the feeling of being trapped in the snow.
It's so cold that all pests die, animals hibernate, plants and flowers wither and die, and the snow-covered world feels nothing.
I loved walking in Sapporo in the winter time around December, from 1-3am, when it was dark and there were no people or cars, just a blanket of white snow.
When the temperature was minus, the snow crystals were bigger and clearly visible to the naked eye in the form of stars, so they glittered and shone beautifully.
At minus temperatures, the back of my nostrils would freeze and I would get a twang.
Still, people can live a normal life.
When I moved to Brisbane, I got scared because I was surrounded by so many creatures that I couldn't sleep because I was afraid to leave the lights on.
The plants were too alive, the insects too, and I was overwhelmed by the presence of reptiles, birds and many other creatures outside.
I think that kind of shock has influenced my painting now.
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