Ma: New Traditions in Nihonga
March 15, 2008- April 22, 2008
Reception: April 3, 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
555 W 25th St
In honor of “New York: Asia Week,”
Dillon Gallery will feature the work of eight
contemporary Nihonga painters from Japan. The exhibition, entitled Ma (an interval of space and
time), is focused on the broad artistic stratagems used to master compositional space. Finding a
distinctive way to pay homage to their heritage, each artist included in this exhibition expands the
expressive vocabulary found within the long tradition of Nihonga (Japanese-Style Painting).
Bando, Saito, and Kanewaka are able to craft an atmosphere of ethereality in their work: Bando
builds up the paint layer by adding ground oyster shell to expose subtle tonal variations of the
medium itself; Saito’s delicate strands of color are brought to light in his translucent abstractions;
and Kanewaka’s sensitivity to texture is explored in his silver-leaf panels. Using large swathes of
muted color, Nakamura creates a sense of depth and movement in his abstract compositions.
Yoshiga’s semi-transparent scrolls possess a modern monumentality, yet hark back to the ancient
practice of the decorative screen tradition. Okamura celebrates nature and the abstract concept of
harmony with a limited palette consisting of embroidery and Sumi ink (traditional Japanese black
ink) on handmade paper. Taking his subject from a work by Chinese poet T'ao Yuan-ming (365-
427), Kouzaki shares his vision of a utopia; one that includes unusual creatures inhabiting a
bizarre, and vast, continual expanse of space. Mischievous devils frolic in Takishita’s canvases,
pronouncing that a playful spirit and lively sensibility are both alive and well in the art of Nihonga.
The artists selected for this exhibition have each found a stylistic approach that is as powerful as it
is contemporary. While recognizing the conventional principles of the respected technique of
Nihonga painting, each artist strives to redefine this ancient art practice.
Nihonga is a technique whose roots extend back more than a thousand years. The term, created in
the 19th century to distinguish traditional painting methods from Western-influenced art, has often
been synonymous with art of the past. Its practitioners incorporate time-honored materials such as
silk, rice-paper, ground semi-precious minerals as well as gold and silver leaf into their paintings.
Nihonga artists have tended to look to the visual forms and conventions of the past during most of
this century. The most recent generation of Nihonga painters, however, has reinvigorated the style
in an attempt to change the way the practice is perceived. The eight artists of Ma are the inheritors
of a rich past and the harbingers of a dynamic future.
Books and DVDs related to artists in this show| Location | | | Gallery | Dillon Gallery | | Address | 555 W 25th St
New York (Chelsea)
NY, 10001
United States | | Phone | 212-727-8585 | | Fax | 212-727-8705 | | Hours | Tue-Sat 10-6 | |
| |
|
Email Page
