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Shizuka Ando's Artwork Featured on Cover of Music Producer Kiyoshi Matsuo's New Social Commentary Essay Collection
2026.03.10
INTERVIEW
Shizuka Ando is one of Japan's most dynamic young artists. She specializes in portrait paintings that employ traditional Japanese painting techniques, creating works that maintain an air of anonymity while conveying a distinct sense of presence in the subjects she depicts. Her artwork will now grace the cover of music producer Kiyoshi Matsuo's social commentary essay collection titled "Nothing starts without a song" (Subete wa Uta kara Hajimaru). This collaboration came to fruition through Matsuo's personal request, as he had been "a longtime fan" of Ando's work.
"Nothing starts without a song" is a social commentary essay collection that significantly expands upon Matsuo's serialized columns in Nikkan Gendai newspaper. The book is described as "a mellow essay that weaves together music and life, featuring a music producer who speaks about politics as if singing, and raises his voice both on social media and in the streets—creating a bittersweet yet deeply flavorful narrative." While Matsuo is recognized as one of Japan's leading music producers, he actively engages with social issues and maintains a diverse portfolio of activities, including his role as Chief Entertainment Officer (CEO) of Kitakyushu city and his literary pursuits.
"Nothing starts without a song" is scheduled for release on Friday, March 13, 2026, published by Heibonsha.
Statement from Shizuka Ando
"I was both delighted and surprised to receive the request for the cover artwork.
I had the impression that Matsuo-san is someone who touches not just music, but the very atmosphere of our times. I felt honored to be asked to create the cover that would serve as the entrance to his social commentary essays, and at the same time, I felt a sense of responsibility that made me more focused on my work."
Statement from Kiyoshi Matsuo
"My new book 'Nothing starts without a song' is not a work that discusses songs themselves, but rather a collection of contemporary essays that examines the atmosphere of this country and the subtle signs of our times through the perspective I've cultivated in music. The artwork I commissioned from Shizuka Ando depicts human figures that seem to stand at the boundary between dreams and reality. In their posture, I sense a gaze that neither loudly judges the world nor simply accepts it, but continues to observe the reality that lies before us. This piece quietly symbolizes the perspective of this book."
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