The Opening Reception of "Movements of Threads" at City Arts

     Thank you so much to those of you who came to the opening reception of my show at CityArts!  I had  the most wonderful time meeting a lot of you and receiving many positive comments.  Thank you to CityArts for having my show!  Special thanks go to CityArts artistic director Emily Brookover who worked hard for this demanding show as well as three other shows, Michael Jensen who helped me exclusively with installing the works with the most gentle and patient spirit, and Jan Taylor who helped me with many details of the works and lifted my heart.  I also want to thank Marilyn Grisham and Mike Miller for always giving me helpful advice, and Lindsay Benacka, the former CityArts artistic director who invited me to do this show about two years ago.

     I am glad the music performance by Daniel Racer, Kay Buskirk, and Cindy Thompson went well, too.  They said they were going to be a part of the arts..., and they were indeed with their graceful sound and presence!  I am so humbled that and original classical music was composed and performed based on my art, this is still beyond surreal.  If you missed it, they are going to provide a CD to listen to at the gallery, which will be ready sometime next week. They are also thinking about performing it at formal recitals in the future.

The musicians rehearsing in the morning of the opening reception.  

"Gift" and me with a big name tag

The reception was only two hours, but I heard about 800 people came.  Many more threads were added to my piece.  Thank you, Wichita!

I still think painting is my main discipline.

"Bloom" and the musicians

From the second floor balcony

"Akari" and "A Thread X A Thread"

"Gift" and "A Thread X A Thread"

     I often feel I don't have much talent, but I can do things like putting paint on canvases, braiding strands and tying knots.  I thank God who can use such small things and make a bigger picture.  This show will be on view through June 24th.  Hope you can visit the show if you haven't, while it's still there!

Movements of Threads
Place:  Main Gallery, CityArts
Date:  May 26 - June 24, 2017

Installing the Show at CityArts, Wichita, KS

Installing of my CityArts show went well with massive help from CityArts staff.  I am so glad that they prepared a scaffolding lift!  14 feet is pretty high!

He did a lot for me.  I would say he is one of the most patient persons I have ever known.

My new installation "Gifts" being installed by the artistic director.  It looks really nice.  The red color is powerful!

Four installations and the paintings are up now.  Tomorrow is the opening reception.  Music is performed twice during the reception.   Hope I will see you there!

  

This show is supported by an Artist Grant from Wichita Arts Council.

  

Movements of Threads
Place:  Main Gallery, CityArts
Date:  May 26 - June 24, 2017
Opening Reception:  May 26, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Preparing for my Upcoming Show "Movements of Threads"

     My show at Main Gallery in CityArts is coming soon.  The space is big, and I am so freaking nervous!  In this show, I am showing paintings and also four installations that I worked on for the last several years.  Three of the installations are ones that I have not shown publicly in Wichita.  Here are some photos in preparation for the show.

     I am doing a lot of braiding for my new installation called "Gift."  It's over one mile long now.  I hope it will be around two miles by the time I finish.

     Working on my small painting series called "Iridescence".  Making layers with painting, drawing, splashing, peeling, scraping, blowing...  Fun to have unexpected images at the end.

     Detail of "Iridescence #65"

     In this picture, I'm working on one of my larger paintings in my series called, "Sojourning."  Each painting takes lots of time.  Hope they will be ready for the show!!

     I am also attending the weekly musicians' rehearsal.  A music piece composed by Daniel Racer, a composer and Professor at Friends University, inspired by my installations in this show.  This collaborative experience, which started about two years ago, has been an adventure to me. It totally makes me feel excited and humbled.  It is going to be performed for the first time in public at the opening reception by Cindy Thompson (Oboe), Kay Buskirk (viola), and Daniel Racer (double bass).  

     The other day, I spent a day at the library of Kansas State University, writing the artist statement for the show.  It was cold and rainy.  Perfect weather for this. Also I really loved this alcove study space.

     I am so thankful that this show has been supported by Artist Grant from Arts Council of Wichita.  

Movements of Threads
Place:  Main Gallery, CityArts
Date:  May 26 - June 24, 2017
Opening Reception:  May 26, 6:00 - 8:00 pm

Blue Period Show

     A couple of my paintings from "Iridescence" series are going to be in this group show.  All the works in this show has blue as its predominant color.  It's fun to be in such a big group show!

Blue Period

Place:  Vertigo 232 Gallery, 232 N. Market, Wichita, KS

Date:  April 21 - April 28, 2017

Hours: 6:00 - 10:00 pm

Upcoming Solo Exhibition at CityArts, Wichita, KS

     I am expecting another solo exhibition in May and June.  This time, it is at Main Gallery in CityArts, Wichita, KS.  
In this show, I am showing four installations and paintings.  Musicians are collaborating with me and they are going to play an original music piece inspired by my installations.  Here is the description of the show.

     "Movements of Threads" by Chiyoko Myose
Chiyoko Myose's installation pieces serve to search different aspects of a sojourner's relationships. Her collection of work is inspired by different threads and has been made in the last several years. Daniel Racer, composer and professor at Friends University, has composed a chamber work inspired by Chiyoko's installations. Cindy Thompson (oboe), Kay Buskirk (viola) and Daniel Racer (double base) will perform the work throughout the exhibition. Chiyoko is originally from Japan where sheearned her BA in English Literature from Doshisha Women's College in Kyoto. She also holds a BFA in painting from Wichita State University.

     I am also glad to announce that I have received an Artist Grant from Wichita's Arts Council for this show.

Movements of Threads
Place:  Main Gallery, CityArts
Date:  May 26 - June 24, 2017
Opening Reception:  May 26, 6:00 - 8:00 pm
Original chamber music composed by Daniel Racer

"Experience the 2017 Field Journal; The Chisholm Trail through Art" Show in Cottonwood Falls, KS

     A couple of my new paintings are included in the show "Experience the 2017 Field Journal; The Chisholm Trail through Art" at Symphony in the Flint Hills Gallery in Cottonwood Falls, KS.  This show is a part of the events of the 2017 Symphony in the Flint Hills which is commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Chisholm Trail.  The artworks exhibited in this show are the works that are going to be included in their Field Journal, the annual publication from the Symphony in the Flint Hills.
     Since I was not very familiar with the history of Chisholm Trail, I did some research on it last year to create these works.  It was quite inspiring to think about the life of the cowboys who, I believe, were also sojourning while they were going though the trail.  I am glad to be invited to be one of the artists in this show as well as in the Field Journal for two consecutive years.  The opening reception is April 8th.  It is wonderful to be able to visit the Flint Hills again in this beautiful spring season.

Chase County Courthouse in Cottonwood Falls, KS

"Experience the 2017 Field Journal; The Chisholm Trail through Art"
Date: March 9th, 2017 - April 23rd, 2017,  8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Place: Symphony in the Flint Hills, 331 Broadway, PO Box 370, Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845
Opening Reception:  April 8th, 2017, 2:00 - 4:00 pm

"A Thread X A Thread" at TANADA Piece Gallery, Kyoto, Japan

     Another show in Japan was at TANADA Piece Gallery, Kyoto.  The show title was "A Thread X (Meets) A Thread Meets TANADA Piece Gallery." The blog page of the gallery is here.

   日本にいる間に京都でもショーをさせて頂きました。京田辺市にあるTANADAピースギャラリーというギャラリーです。「『糸と糸が出会う時』がTANADAピースギャラリーと出会う」といったタイトルを付けさせて頂きました。ギャラリーのブログはこちらです。

This was before I started installing the work.

作品をインストールする前の状態です。

     TANADA Piece Gallery is a unique architectural / interior design award-winning gallery designed by a Japanese architecture company, GENETO.  This gallery was built by retired teachers, Mr. and Mrs. Ohue, the gallery owners, who had a vision to create a space for the community to get together and spend time. Their hope is to send a message of "peace" from this place through peoples' interaction. You can read more about this gallery here.  As the concept for the gallery, Mr. Ohue used the word "Spiral Shifting Thinking."

     TANADAピースギャラリーは日本の建築会社GENETOによってデザイン、設計された建築デザイン、インテリアデザイン関係でいくつかの受賞をされているユニークなギャラリーです。ギャラリーの施主であるオーナーは元教師をされていた大植さんというご夫婦で、コミュニティーが集い、また人との交わりを通して、平和のメッセージを発信していけるようなスペースになるよう、というヴィジョンをもって作られたそうです。ギャラリーのコンセプトとして、『螺旋的展開思考』という言葉を大植氏は用いておられました。

       The space is white with four levels and the spiral steps, which evokes a sense of ethereal light and transparency.  It is also a fun space with ups and downs and some hidden places and a pinnacle.  The gallery itself is already a piece of art work.  It was so exciting to show my work in such an interesting space.

　白いスペースに四つのレベルがあり、スパイラル状のような階段がついていて、輝きと透明感のある空間。また上がったり下がったり、隠れ場の様な場所があったり、頂上があったり、楽しい空間でもあります。ギャラリーその物が造形作品なのです。この様な面白い空間で自分の作品を展示できて、とてもエキサイティングでした。

   

     The show was visited by local people and my friends in Japan.  The visitors kindly participated in making this piece by adding threads.  Each knot means the notion of treasuring the moment of meeting people.  I wonder how this work is going to grow.  You can read more about this work here.

　ショーには地域の方々が来てくださり、また私の日本の友達が駆けつけてくれました。今回も来場者の方々が糸を結んで作品作りに協力してくれました。一つ一つの結び目は、出会いの時を大切にするという思いを表現しています。この作品はどのように変化していくのでしょうか。作品についての説明はこちらです。

     With the big front window, the gallery looks like a lighted showcase from the outside.  This window brought more unexpected effects.  From the inside, you see the reflections of the people's figures, objects, and the lights after dark.  The space looked enlarged, doubled or more.

　前面にある大きな窓は、照明の効果もあり、外から見るギャラリーと作品を輝くショーケースのようにも見せます。またこの窓は、思いもしていなかった効果をもたらしました。暗くなると、中から見た窓に、人や、もの、光の反射が写るのです。まるで空間が拡がったかのようです。　

     I added these circular spiral elements with hand-crocheted threads for this show.  The reason why I made these shapes was to respond to the curvilinear lines of the interior design.  It was also probably because I had Mr. Ohue's word "Spiral Shifting Thinking" in my mind.

　このショーでは、このような手で編んだ糸を螺旋状にして、丸い形に整えたものを、床の所どころに置きました。このような形にした理由は、緩やかなカーヴのあるインテリアデザインに呼応したかったからではありますが、さらに、大植氏が使われていた、『螺旋的展開思考』という言葉が心の中に残っていたからだと思います。

   

     On Christmas Eve, I lit lights which were randomly tied onto my piece.  This view was from the top level inside - the reflection on the big front window looked like a dove flying.

　クリスマスイヴの夜に、作品におもむろにつけていたライトを灯しました。この写真はギャラリー内の一番上のレベルから外に向かって撮ったものです。大きなガラス窓に映ったライトがまるで鳩が飛んでいるかのような形に浮かび上がりました。

This view was from the outside front yard.  Is it mimicking the tree?

これは外からギャラリーを撮ったものです。作品が木の形を真似ている様にも見えます。

   

  After the show, I returned the space to the original condition.   I am so thankful to the gallery owners, Mr. and Mrs. Ohue for hosting the show and their warm hospitality.  It was really a precious time and experience to meet such a one of a kind space, my old friends, and new friends who came to the show.

　ショーが終わって、ギャラリーを元に戻しました。 オーナーの大植様ご夫妻にはショーをさせて頂き、また温かいホスピタリティーに大変感謝でした。この様な、世界に二つとないような空間に出会えたこと、また自分の個展ができたこと、また遠いためにめったに会えない古くからの友人達にこの様な場所で会えたこと、ショーに来て下さった皆さんお一人お一人との出会いを振り返ると、これは本当に貴重な時間と体験だったと思わされました。

     I am hoping this installation art piece will be exhibited in different countries and meet more people.  この作品がさらに様々な国で展示され、より多くの人と出会うことを願っています。
J'espère que cette pièce d'art d'installation sera exposée dans différents pays et rencontrera plus de gens.

Espero que esta obra de arte de instalación se exhibirá en diferentes países y conocer a más personas.

Ich hoffe, diese Installation Kunstwerk wird in verschiedenen Ländern ausgestellt werden und treffen mehr Menschen.

 我希望這個安裝藝術品將在不同的國家展出，滿足更多的人。
Nadam se instalacija umjetničko djelo će biti izložene u različitim zemljama i upoznati više ljudi.