In addition to sharing photos from my residency show, I also wanted to allow folks to virtually attend the opening reception. Below are videos of my artist talk (10 min) and dance performance (4 min) so you can get a sense of the full experience!
Artist talk - illustrating the size of a large bread box?
And in case 10 minutes is too long, here’s a summary of my talk:
I decided to study woodworking about six years ago, because I wanted to be able to empower young people with these skills. Although I started with the goal of being an educator, not an artist, I’m grateful I’ve been able to develop my own artistic voice through my residency in the Artisan Development Program at North House Folk School.
One of the factors that helped me develop my own style was a great mentorship with woodworker, sculptor and educator, Beth Ireland. She encourages people to think about all of the things that make them who they are - their interests, personal experiences, family, etc - and to try incorporating multiple elements of themselves into their art. As I experimented with different designs and ideas over the past year and a half, I could see how my upbringing in Japan, my time spent in Scandinavian, and my love of the woods and dance all came into play.
That advice, alongside seeing a carving performance by Swedish woodworker, Jögge Sundqvist, inspired me to do a dance and carving performance as part of the opening reception. Below are images from the performance and a video. I hope you enjoy it.
Dancing & carving with friends Ben Byron & Mike Loeffler.