Exhibition catalogue for the QU4RTETS touring art show and musical concert, featuring the art of Makoto Fujimura and Bruce Herman, and the piano quintet of Christopher Theofanidis.

QU4RTETS

Makoto Fujimura

Bruce Herman

Christopher Theofanidis

Fujimura Institute

[Excerpt from introduction by Kushner] The first time I looked at Makoto Fujimura's painting, The Twin Rivers of Tamagswa Series, I responded immediately to the somber, bittersweet tenor of the chroma - sensuous blues, greens, grays that echoed the moodiness of the Northeast in winter or earliest spring. The sense of light, polar opposite of Impressionist dazzle, depicted the wan winter pallor of the sun trying to break through gray clouds, or the final blush of late afternoon before darkness ascends. The poignant mood of these river bottom landscapes elevated the New Jersey wetlands, near- which the artist then lived, to the grandeur of Dutch landscapes. Through the restrained calligraphic addition of a tree dwarfed by the vastness of the horizontal expanse, or of a distant viaduct, the entire composition crystallized into a cohesive spatial unity. These depictions of a particularly elegiac American locus, wetlands scarred by industrial insensitivity, strangely echoed the historical Romantic sense of "the sublime" linking Fujimura more closely to the 19th Century than to much of today's work. Knowing that Fujimura painted with traditional Japanese techniques, I came closer to examine the modulations of surface textures, and was literally astonished to perceive faint gold writing in the sky of each painting. The Biblical texts, derived from the writing of Old Testament Prophets (in this case, Isaiah) offered hope and serenity at times of doubt and adversity. "Bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair." The gold words were smudged, partially obscured by a darker wash as if the clouds were attempting to shelter the divine message. Formally, the words became an elegant adaptation of the colophon, or textual commentary an Asian artist adds as the completion to the pictorial part of his work.

Makoto Fujimura: New York works

Dillon Gallery Press]

Collection of beautiful artwork by the artist, with notes.

Makoto Fujimura, Images of Grace

Dillon Gallery

Makoto Fujimura, Hours

"Splendor" catalogue focuses on recent works of Fujimura from his "Four Quartets" series and "Eirenepoios" installation, exhibited at Kristen Frederickson Contemporary Art in April of 2003, as well as "The Still Point", exhibited at Takashimaya Gallery, Tokyo, Japan in December of 2003, and several new "Splendor" works. Fujimura's works emphasize the splendor and beauty of the medium of natural materials, of precious minerals and nikawa (Japanese hide glue) painted on paper. Dr. Nicholas P. Wolterstorff of Yale University, in the catalogue essay, writes about the materials used by Fujimura: "The mineral particles themselves are minute refractors; one notices a mysterious subdued sparkle embedded in the surface as one moves back and forth. The colors recede and advance in accord with their intrinsic character, giving depth to the space. And the density of layering makes them change as the light varies and one's perspective alters. The surface is mysteriously alive."

The Splendor of the Medium

Poiema Press

Culture Care : Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life

Independent Publisher

A collection of essays, thoughts, and prayers from award-winning artist Makoto Fujimura, Refractions brings people of all backgrounds together in conversation and meditation on culture, art, and humanity.

Refractions: A Journey of Faith, Art, and Culture

Arts & Photography

Individual Artists

NAVPRESS *

"Culture is not a territory to be won or lost but a resource we are called to steward with care. Culture is a garden to be cultivated." Many bemoan the decay of culture. But we all have a responsibility to care for culture, to nurture it in ways that help people thrive. In Culture Care artist Makoto Fujimura issues a call to cultural stewardship, in which we become generative and feed our culture's soul with beauty, creativity, and generosity. We serve others as cultural custodians of the future. This is a book for artists, but artists come in many forms. Anyone with a calling to create?from visual artists, musicians, writers, and actors to entrepreneurs, pastors, and business professionals?will resonate with its message. This book is for anyone with a desire or an artistic gift to reach across boundaries with understanding, reconciliation, and healing. It is a book for anyone with a passion for the arts, for supporters of the arts, and for "creative catalysts" who understand how much the culture we all share affects human thriving today and shapes the generations to come. Culture Care includes a study guide for individual reflection or group discussion.

Culture Care: Reconnecting with Beauty for Our Common Life

Religion & Spirituality

Christian Books & Bibles

christianaudio

Restaurant of the Soul

TBS Britannica

Art and Faith: A Theology of Making By Makoto Fujimura, How to Be an Artist By Jerry Saltz 2 Books Collection Set

Jerry Saltz

History & Criticism

Yale University Press/ILEX Ltd

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Books by Makoto Fujimura