People often ask me where the ideas for my illusions come from. The truth is, they often arrive quietly, inspired by the places I’ve visited and the cultures I’ve encountered. During my travels, it’s not unusual for me to create something that reflects the spirit of a place. Take “Seal or Bear?” for example—it came to me while wandering through northern Canada, surrounded by the vast, silent landscapes of the Arctic and the rich traditions of Inuit culture. That illusion went on to become a classic in the 1990s and even made its way into textbooks on perception.
Later, during my journey through Japan between Tokyo and Kyoto, I was captivated by the delicate balance of light, shadow, and movement in the world around me. It was there that “How Many Birds?” took shape, in the ukiyo-e style. One of my earliest optical illusions, it explores bistable perception in a playful way. Depending on your gaze, you can see four birds nestled in their respective nests with one perched on a branch—or four chirping chicks gathered around their mother. I like to think that, in that moment, the spirit of the place and the quiet rhythm of daily life found a way into the lines and spaces of the image, letting viewers glimpse more than one reality at once.
Ultimately, I am like a sponge, absorbing everything that orbits around me, all while staying true to my own style. That is simply how I work.
