Passages: Objects of Mind and Matter

Passages: Objects of Mind and Matter

DECEMBER 6, 2013 THROUGH MARCH 1, 2014

PHILADELPHIA- Wexler Gallery is pleased to present, Passages: Objects of Mind and Matter, an exciting two-artist exhibition featuring Japanese-American artists Hideaki Miyamura and Chiyomi Longo. The show will run from December 6th through March 1st. *An Opening Reception will take place on First Friday, December 6th from 5 – 8pm. In an age where information is accelerated and electronic devices stand between our sensory observations, Passages: Objects of Mind and Matter celebrates the Japanese tradition to exercise control over our environments. Without the distraction of materialism, we are present and in the moment. The essential knowledge of the makers and their implied intuition create a beauty of things imperfect, modest and incomplete.

Hideaki Miyamura, a Japanese- American potter, has devoted his career to the creation of unique ,iridescent glazes. Stemming from an original interest in rare glazes used in ancient Chinese tea ceremonies and having studied under the great potters and glaze masters in Japan, Hideaki Miyamura has perfected the art of glazing vessels appropriate for the tea ceremony and beyond.

Hideaki began a personal quest to experiment with his own glazes, searching to find the proper three dimensional quality that speaks of an inner feeling of purity and serenity. The shapes of his vessels also work in relationship to the glazes, and they achieve a clarity and simplicity of line that compliment the rarity of the glaze. Of his works, Hideaki has remarked “I want my pieces to feel in balance with their environment, to feel as though they co-exist naturally with their surroundings. My goal is to try and evoke a feeling of inner peace and tranquility.” Miyamura’s studio pottery appears in the permanent collections of many collections and museums, predominantly in the United States, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, the Peabody Essex Museum, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, the Newark Museum of Art, and the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Institution. Abstract painter Chiyomi Longo grew up on the island of Hawaii, earning both a BFA and an MFA degree from the San Francisco Art Institute in 1995. Chiyomi’s paintings reflect different periods of her life, representing her experiences in her native Japan and her adoptive America. Her abstract forms are expressed as feelings, restating her desire to unite and equalize different cultural influences. In her artwork, especially her Kaicho of Sumi series, Chiyomi has incorporated such themes as circles, Japanese kanji characters, and fluid strokes inspired by the flowing sounds of shakuhaci and other music.

In Chiyomi’s work, we are witness to the skills of an accomplished artist conjoined with the strength and drive of a woman who has an insatiable desire to express herself and her present surroundings.

Chiyomi Longo’s large abstract paintings have been featured on the walls of many popular TV and movie sets, including Will & Grace, CSI, 24, Just Shoot Me! and big screen productions such as Legally Blonde 2: Red, White and Blonde (2003) and Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005).

Fascinated by the notion of challenging the traditional labels that categorize art, Wexler Gallery exhibits work that can coexist in the worlds of design, fine art, decorative art and craft. By questioning and challenging the boundaries of these fields, we aim to present functional and nonfunctional work that consistently celebrates innovation. Unified by a commitment to excellent craftsmanship and true dedication to their art, we are proud to showcase some of the world’s most esteemed artists working in their areas of pursuit.