Art by Kazumasa Hashimoto in the Ogijima Library

It feels a bit strange to talk about Kazumasa Hashimoto in the same way that I talk about other artists in the newsletter/blog, because I know him personally. But that's also the reason why this post is a few years late, and it's time to put that right.Years ago, Kazumasa Hashimoto was a student of Yoshifumi Oshima, the founder of Onba Factory on Ogijima. In 2013, when Oshima created Team OGI for the Setouchi Triennale, he recruited people who could help with the new project. Among them was his former student. Hashimoto "temporarily" moved to Ogijima for the project. However, once the Triennale ended, he was unsure what to do with his life, and he decided to stay on the island a little longer. Meeting and falling in love with one of the Koebi-tai volunteers most likely played a part, too. This was around the time that Ogijima's revitalization was gaining momentum, and several people started to move to the island.And... He's still there, with the former volunteer who is now his wife…