This post is to thank Ishemia for the beautiful interview she published on the new Russian site dedicated to shibari: shibari.ru. Following the request of my friend Pepefritto, I publish here the original text in English. Enjoy!
1. Where was you born and grow up?
I was born in Milan, Italy, but I grew up in a small town nearby. There were not so many stimuli in this town, but my parents have always given me opportunities to travel and discover the world with them since I was a child.
2. How long have you been doing rope? When did you do it at the first time?
I started feeling fascinated by rope at 16, surfing Italian bondage websites. When I was 18 I tied my first girlfriend to the bed; aged 21 I started studying bondage as a technique and attending S&M parties. After some months I had my first public performance at Black Hole in Milan. Now I am 24 and this February Kirigami’s character celebrates his second birthday.
3. How did your entrance into the shibari world happen?
After something like one year attending the S&M scene in Milan I was invited by some friends to see the first performance by Wildties. I felt that stuff was completely different form the bondage I used to know. I got fascinated by this style and I talked to him. He showed me many artists’ work and let me know about a whole international scene outside Italy. I started picking up inspirations by those international artists and publishing some pictures together with Marta (aka Tenshiko). I went to Japan to see Kazami San’s and Kanna San’s performances and eventually I started talking to some people in the international scene.
4. Who was your rope-teacher? Who did you train with?
Actually I didn’t have a true teacher, I am almost completely self-learned unfortunately. I am 24 and still studying, I cannot say: “Hi mum I need some money for my kinbaku lesson”. As I said, my parents always give me many opportunities, allowing me to do many things and to travel around the world, but they pay in advance for what they think is right for me, and kinbaku is not among those things. I have to credit many different people for teaching me something, either in person or by their tutorials; among those Esinem, Hebari, Andrea Ropes, and Wildties himself of course, plus many others. I trained on my own body and with some girls friends of mine. Until the last year, the Milanese scene was not much Japanese-style-oriented so I did not train a lot with other riggers in Milan, now there is a peer rope in Milan which is very nice, and I hope I will manage to attend it often.
5. What about the sources of your inspiration?
When I look to a ligature I love Naka Akira style apparently “messy” rope, but I even if I try, I still can’t manage to get that effect as I like it, so when it comes to a shooting or to a show I still try to pick something up from “neater” works. Sometimes when I look to some of my works I have the feeling I am almost completely copying some of Wildties’s early works. Anyway looking to ropes by nawashi Kanna, or Kazami Ranki is a great source of new rope patterns and new ways to build strong connection. When it comes to dirty minded ideas i love to skim Sugiura Norio’s website. I am still discovering new artists everyday, so it is possible I will soon find some other sources.
6. Who are your favorite riggers, models?
It is difficult to give an answer because I love and hate different works by the same riggers and models; hence I will try to give an answer which is not related to the artists’ work too much. I love Kinoko shows’ double soul, his power to alternate traditional shows with the fluo show, his attitude to be the right man on the tatami and at the club. Among the Italians I appreciate Wildties and Andrea Ropes, because they are skilled and successful, they manage to give great performances, and they often make me feel a true Japanese soul in their sessions. Recently I had the pleasure to see Esinem tying live and it was beautiful to feel the experience in the movements of his fingers. To answer about the models is too embarrassing to me. I will just say Kagura is the most beautiful Japanese girl I saw when I went to Japan.
7. Did you have difficulties in searching your first model?
Not really. I almost ever found girls who enjoyed ropes. The true difficulty was to find a girl willing to go to a public rope party and to get tied in front of strangers.
8. What do you like to do most of all? Newaza, rope suspensions, private sessions, performances?
I enjoy them all in different ways. I am an exhibitionist, so I love the people looking at a circus style suspension in a dancing club. But there are some rope-related activities I would not share with an audience. Shootings allow me to share some of these activities; others, and the actual deep connection with my significant other are to be savored during private play. I don’t actually like distinguishing newaza and rope suspension. Often, especially during private play, moments on the ground alternates with moments of suspension.
9. What are your interests outside of shibari? (Music, sport, literature, etc) Your hobbies?
I am not the kind of person who gets mad for one special topic or another, I like learning a little bit of everything, even if this often causes a lack of in-depth analysis. Anyway I have some preferences of course: physics, which I study at the university; human anatomy, both form a scientific and artistic point of view; human physiology and psychology. I have a special interest in martial arts, and I believe they give a good understanding of the human body from a practical point of view. I also enjoy literature a little bit, I prefer French literature (both prose and poetry) and some Italian poetry.
10. Why do you wear a mask? Do you wear it to create a mysterious image or you have other reasons?
My parents are running a shop in a small town. Unfortunately many of our customers would not appreciate my passion for kinbaku. I wear the mask because I respect their business.
