Born in 1963 in Tokyo, Miyatsu Daisuke is a typical office worker. He had an opportunity when he was young to see an Andy Warhol exhibition, and the experience immediately changed his views on art. In college, artworks by Yayoi Kusama also spurred his passion for contemporary art, which led to his devotion to art collecting, starting in 1994. To date, he has collected more than 300 contemporary artworks, and the collection spans works created in the mid. 20th century, in the 1950s, and also recent pieces. The genres included are quite diverse, including drawings, oil paintings, videos, installations, and performance and conceptual artworks. His collection is a reflection of the developmental pattern in contemporary art for the past half a century. In order to be able to collect artworks that he is drawn to, in addition to living frugally, in the past he has also taken on a part-time night-shift job working at a hotel concierge. His financial resources for collecting art are the product of his painstaking efforts to save bit by bit.
His passion further transformed into a desire for learning, as Mr. Miyatsu actively participates in various art activities, with the aim of acquiring and learning art knowledge. He is dedicated to obtaining contemporary art information from various sources, and is most enthusiastic about being able to directly communicate and interact with artists. Mr. Miyatsu believes that the most efficient way to understand a particular artwork is through direct exchange with the artist. The friendships he has formed with different artists have also flourished into beautiful stories that are much talked about by people. In addition to collecting actual works of art, Mr. Miyatsu also treasures the memories between him and the artists and, because of this, he has never sold any part of his collection. On the one hand, Mr. Miyatsu has carefully stores his collected artworks in two warehouses, and on the other hand, he is also dedicated in bring art into life; therefore, together with many artists that he has invited, they have embarked on a collaborative effort to build the “Dream House”, a s project is still being carried out.
Everything collected by Miyatsu Daisuke is based on his personal view and preference and, more importantly, he also has the ability to look beyond existing knowledge and experience, allowing him to unreservedly support new art forms. Because of the influence of his grandmother, he has set the ultimate goal of donating his personal collection to the public. He says, “Art is a kind of public cultural asset, and should ultimately be shared with people. I am just temporary looking after the artworks that I have collected and, as a collector, I am responsible for carefully preserving them. In the future, the entire collection will be donated to a museum for everyone to appreciate.” Mr. Miyatsu has demonstrated his exceptional taste as a collector and also the attitude he has towards society. We are also able to observe his passion for art and also the great relationships he has formed with others. He believes in placing “events” over “objects” and “processes” over “results”, his dedication showing his unshakeable belief that art is a “life-long career” worth committing to wholeheartedly.