In bloom.

Last Saturday, a friend and I had the pleasure of visiting the Cincinnati Art Museum (a first time visit for me). We explored the exhibit on Chinese animal scroll paintings, which also featured a couple of Japanese scrolls for stylistic comparison. It's fascinating to consider the variety of forms of non-verbal communication, particularly in regards to art. The hierarchy laid out in the animal kingdom set forth the ideals and principles of Chinese law and military. In terms of the Zodiac, I fall under the tiger (having been born in 1986), so it's fitting that the tiger paintings were my favorite to view. Though, to be fair, every animal has its tale to tell. The exhibit runs through January 3rd, so there is plenty of time to experience it for yourself. More information can be found at www.cincinnatiartmuseum.org.

I will now share two of my favorite pieces that I saw at the museum (outside of the special exhibits...I believe they are both part of the permanent collection, if I'm not mistaken).



An elegantly displayed kimono, flanked by a floral arrangement that seeks to mimic the life and movement found within its patterns. There were several floral displays created as a part of the Art in Bloom event, including a few ikebana that I absent-mindedly neglected to photograph. I hope to become more knowledgeable of the arts of ikebana and bonsai in the coming months.



This beautiful lacquered screen reminds me of Haruki Murakami's comment about "living language", which I featured in the previous post. The swift, bold, decisive gold brushwork was executed in a way that tells a story about the very object it represents: a birch tree, standing solitary on a steep hill or mountainside. It is moments like this where I am truly awed and intrigued by the art of shodo.

I hope that you will enjoy these exhibits as much as I have.

お元気で。

Is the pen mightier?

An editorial in the New York Times (featured here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/08/books/review/EParker-t.html?_r=1&emc=eta1) addresses the rapid advances in modern communicative technologies and their impact on the Japanese vernacular. Minae Mizumura laments that Japan "devotes less time to teaching their own language than to teaching a foreign language." On the other side, famed novelist Haruki Murakami takes a wonderfully refreshing perspective on the issue.

"My personal view on the Japanese language (or any language) is, if it wants to change, let it change. Any language is alive just like a human being, just like you or me. And if it’s alive, it will change. Nobody can stop it."

To read more, follow the above link. Feel free to add your own comments and thoughts here.

お元気で。

Where do you find home?

Though I'm hardly world-weary, I think it's pretty safe to say that you can find that feeling of home anywhere you go. If there's an aura or ambiance that you find to be comforting, there's a good chance that you can recreate it whereever you travel or choose to settle down. Throughout my four years of design education, I came to realize that lighting seems to be a common factor in creating a particular mood or atmosphere, be it romantic, peaceful, or austere. I recently discovered the work of Jason Hindley, who through his snapshots of interior settings captures an endearing warmth of presence. His work brings to mind what the Japanese call mono no aware, which roughly translates to the sense that, even though a room may be vacant or an object not in use, these conditions are only temporary. Not only that, but the presence of the user/occupant lingers within one's mindspace. You can sense footsteps across a worn tatami mat, or feel the breeze from the motion of hands picking through hangers in a tiny hotel closet.

To see/feel Jason's work for yourself, visit his site at http://www.jasonhindley.com/.

お元気で。