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PRESS RELEASE
Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art
February 17 through March 24, 2007
Dunn and Brown Contemporary is proud to announce an exhibition of contemporary Japanese basketry. This exhibition, Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art, is the first of its kind at Dunn and Brown Contemporary. The show will open with a reception on Saturday, February 17 from 6:00 - 8:00 P.M. and will continue through March 24, 2007.
Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art will present eight established contemporary bamboo artists including Honma Kazuaki, Nagakura Kenichi, Monden Kogyoku, Morigami Jin, Fujinuma Noboru, Kawashima Shigeo, Honda Syoryu, and Shono Tokuzo. These contemporary Japanese bamboo artists create a quiet balance between a respect and admiration for ancient traditions and a desire to push creative boundaries by incorporating new materials such as wood, glass, metals and various dyes. Today, Japanese bamboo baskets act as vessels of Japanese culture and fine art, as they convey beauty, technique, discipline, texture, and motion. This exhibition of baskets will show a variety of styles from delicate plaiting to heavier, more demanding knots and braids as well as unique shapes, sizes, and dyes. With over six hundred different types of bamboo available, artists are challenged to combine material with their creative vision.
The art of Japanese bamboo basketry, a relatively small-scale art form, has existed in Japan since the 16th century and was originally inspired by the Japanese age old admiration for the Chinese culture. This art form has evolved through many centuries and has become both integral to functional Japanese daily life and admired as a form of art valued for its technique and beauty. As lineages grew and apprentices were adopted, bamboo artists developed traditions and techniques significant to their regions, families, and professional associations. To achieve technical mastery of bamboo art, artists are required to devote an initial ten years to learning the basics of cutting, dyeing, and plaiting bamboo. It then takes another one to two decades for beginners to develop into a recognizable artist. Because of their extensive apprentice training, many artists affiliate with a professional association. Contemporary Japanese Bamboo Art at Dunn and Brown Contemporary presents four artists from The Nitten or Japan Fine Arts Exhibition; Honma Kazuaki, Morigami Jin, Honda Syoryu, Shono Tokuzo; two artists from the Nihon Kogeikai or Japan Craft Arts Association; Monden Kogyoku and Fujinuma Noboru; and two independent artists; Nagakura Kenichi and Kawashima Shigeo. This variation in training and technique becomes visible to the viewer through different visual presentations.
Dunn and Brown Contemporary is open to the public Tuesday through Saturday from 11:00 am until 5:00 pm and by appointment. Please contact Sarah Stork at the gallery or via e-mail at sstork@dunnandbrown.com for additional information about the artists or to request visuals of the exhibition.