By Alice Gordenker Shima Seien (島成園, 1892–1970) worked as a Nihonga painter at a time when few women in Japan were able to pursue art as a profession. Throughout her career, she struggled against overt discrimination against women artists. This frustration is palpable in her 1918 painting “Untitled” (無題), in which a woman in a…

Kengo Kuma and associates (KKAA), the firm led by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, has designed a temporary pavilion for events and performances in Harumi, Tokyo.  The semi-outdoor space was built using a steel frame infilled with panels made from cross-laminated timber.  T These CLT panels measure 160 x 350 centimeters (63 x 138 inches) and…

When I was producing calligraphic specimens of the words I particularly liked – the words like 「flame」, 「river」「tree」and 「snow」, Felt chagrined that they were not of my own creation. I became unbearably envious of those who created such words. As feeling envy for others constituted a gross breach of ladies’ code, I decided to someday…

Welcome to an enlightening virtual videoexhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, showcasing the genius ofJapanese Kimono.

Welcome to an enlightening virtual video exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum, showcasing the genius of Japanese Kimono.  

Many centuries ago, the Chinese Daoist sage Zhuangzi famously wondered, “Am I a man who just dreamed he was a butterfly or a butterfly now dreaming he is a man?” The Japanese Buddhist nun and artist, Otagaki Rengetsu (1791-1875), wrote the following poem, Cho (Butterfly) in her exquisite calligraphy, both on the scroll below and…

Things were different at our recent 10 Day Tokiwa Gallery! Silly! Quirky! Unexpected! Laughable! and Surprising! Starting with a SPECTACULAR SHISHI MAI DANCE performed by Father and Son who live in the neighborhood. Son, an evolved and accomplished 40 year old Down’s Syndrome artist, was the head. Father was the tail. Their teamwork, punctuated by…

  Charles Bernstein, A.I.A. This poetically designed church was completed in 1995 on a low budget, and won Ando the Pritzker Award. The relatively small structure is located in a suburb of Osaka. Like most of Ando’s work, the building materials consist of glass, steel and of course, poured-in-place concrete. In addition to evocatively placed…

On November 15, 2019 our group of travelers had the great privilege of taking an indigo workshop at Buaiso’s home in Tokushima We were welcomed by the young farmers, dyers and business associates who served us lunch and indigo tea. Kakuo Kaji then showed us various methods of resist dyeing and we folded and clamped…