Written by Michael Goldstein for THE ARTISTS FORUM MAGAZINE
Edited by Amos White V for THE ARTISTS FORUM, INC
Photos: Amos White V
REVIEWER RATING:
4 out of 5 stars
HOME AWAY FROM HOME XI
NEW YORK, NY (September 24, 2015) Opening Reception, September 18, 2015 – Among the 21 artists presented at the Tamabi NY Club’s eleventh installment of the Home Away From Home XI art exhibition, Sakura Nagamine’s painting entitled, A Moment #1, effortlessly captures the meaning behind the evening.
Frozen on the canvas was an amusement park ride in full swing at the transition from day to night, all riders sharing a single experience. Such was the exhibition hosted by the Tenri Cultural Institute; an evening when multiple artists came together, united by a single goal – to create a single stream of consciousness experienced by New Yorkers.
Others went for a more abstract expression in their work, such as Akiko Asanuma and her paintings, To the sky, and ∞, both of which depict parades of babies clad in colorful suits, their relaxed positions frozen on the canvas radiating a sense of inner peace. As Asanuma writes in her artist’s statement, “If I can stop worrying about other people’s evaluations of me and reconnect with my authentic self; Then I should be able to always smile an authentic smile that radiates love and joy to others.” The paintings appear to symbolize the conclusion of Asanuma’s culture shock as an immigrant to the United States. She has embraced her past and the unpredictability of her future and decided to make it her own.
Then there were those who went with a more abstract approach. Akiko Matsuo came to the night with her photorealistic painting Nepenthes Hamata, which is simply a large oil canvas of a carnivorous plant. In her artist’s statement she writes, “I love carnivorous plants. They feed on animals. They reverse the concept of hierarchy of the living world.” I feel what she’s implying is that she is hypothetically the prey the plant of the big city would feed on, but with other artists like herself, she finds herself becoming empowered as the plant, where she no longer feels threatened by the world’s living hierarchy.
Several other interesting works are shown below from Keiko Koshmitsu, Mi Jung Kim, and The Artists Forum Magazine’s April 2011 Artist of the Month Toshiko Nishikawa.
Culture shock dilutes for the time being as art and companionship dominate the Tenri Cultural Institute. I hope my review subtlety persuades you to experience a little culture shock of your own.
The exhibit runs from September 16 – 29, 2015.
For more information about the Tenri Cultural Institute, visit: tenri.org
