Surrounded by the Beauty of Art
Friday, August 25, I spent at the Tenri Cultural Institute as a guest at Bittersweet, a group exhibition of contemporary art, where six artists, Joseph Ralph Fraia, Koyuki Sakamoto, Sugako Hamazaki, Tomo, Yoko Morishita, and Ola Rondiak, presented their works.
Joseph Ralph Fraia, a New York City-based artist specializing in fine art photography, presented his project that captured the beauty, strength, and grace of Asian women. The project is intended to show appreciation for Asian femininity and culture.
Koyuki Sakamoto, a young Japanese artist and pastry chef, specializes in a unique art technique - her works are made out of sugar on canvas. These pieces are bright and colorful - you could look at them forever. Koyuki Sakamoto believes that there is no failure in art, and she keeps proving it, showing people her masterpieces.
Sugako Hamazaki, an artist from Hiroshima, focuses her works on the devastating impact of atomic bombs that changed the lives of thousands of people during World War II. In her art, Sugako Hamazaki captures the moments of these tragic events, making us remember war and value peace.
Tomo, a calligraphy teacher from Japan, uses coffee and traditional calligraphy ink in her art. Tomo’s pieces show the importance of hand-writing, where, it is believed, each letter has a soul, as opposed to typing. Each painting is made on a long scroll of paper, which is traditional in Japan.
Yoko Morishita is a Japanese artist, designer, and illustrator. Her art is splashes of color, movement, and challenge to all the norms. Yoko Morishita focuses on the empowerment of women and seeing them as their own creations, rather than just an opposite to men.
Ola Rondiak is a Ukrainian visual artist. Her works that represent women show strength even in the hardest times. The artist’s inspiration is her grandmother, who lived during World War II and felt all its horrors. Ola Rondiak virtuously combines her family history with the history of the world, making us think of our own family history during the hardest times.
The exhibition was fabulous! The atmosphere was amicable and welcoming, and what made it even more so was the presence of all the artists and the ability to talk to them. And what I noticed in the end is that I cannot pick an artist I liked the most. Their works were all so meaningful and deep that there was no way to choose one. The second I got in, I was carried away by the beauty of all the pieces, the depth of their ideas, and the way they were delivered. Each little detail has its meaning, and I could look at them forever.
One surprise was a live show by two of the artists, Koyuki Sakamoto and Yoko Morishita. They showed us how they work in their techniques, creating masterpieces right in front of us. The music and the flowing but accurate movements made the process enchanting.
It was the first time I experienced something like that, and this is the picture I can still clearly see in front of my eyes when I return to the event's memories. Looking back, I am delighted I was able to be a part of an event like this, surrounded by the beauty of art and the pleasantness of the company.
A note from Livein Magazine Chief Editor Joseph Ralph Fraia
It was for me a pleasure and an honor to exhibit some of my best works at the “Bitter Sweet" exhibition at the Tenri Gallery. This show gave me the opportunity to finally present under a different, special light, 6 muses who have enriched my fine photography career during the last 15 years. My amazing job has given me the chance to collaborate with some incredible women and, finally, I had the chance to not only portrait their image, but their character, story, and dreams to the public. The grace and strength of those women have hopefully inspired understanding, compassion, and curiosity towards others, and reminded everybody that, with kindness, we can discover that life has much more to offer than what we see on the surface.
My deepest gratitude goes to Kaori Tetsuka, Tenri Gallery Curator, and Kyoko Sato, Show Curator.
Article by Mary Zakharova - Photos by Joseph Ralph Fraia @jrfstudio - jrfstudio.com
