“Everything that influences me are paintings to me.” Shinro Ohtake is known for his multilayer works that incorporate all kinds of found materials and dive into the complexity of human’s memories and emotions. Held at the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo, his first retrospective in 16 years showcased 500 works, from scrap books to mixed-media collages and installations. In this interview with Ohtake, conducted by Fumiko Nakajima and filmed by Ryohei Nakajima at the opening of the show, the artist elaborated on what he perceives as paintings, his motivation for making art, as well as the anger that he tries to reconcile through his creations.