ON EXHIBIT
COURTESY JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
Amorphous sculptures comprise "Garden of Spirits," John Tanji Koga's latest exhibition, at the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii Wednesday through March 3.
|
|
John Koga brings art to JCCH gallery
Artist John Tanji Koga will debut his newest sculptures on Wednesday in the first Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii gallery show of the year.
"Garden of Spirits: John Tanji Koga Solo Exhibition" will open with a 5:30-7 p.m. reception, and demonstrates the center's commitment to bringing contemporary art to a space generally recognized for presenting historical exhibitions.
"The gallery is based on our mission of trying to share the history and culture of the evolving Japanese experience in Hawaii," said gallery director Christy Takamune. "A lot of the exhibitions have been based on showing the struggles they had in the past, but we also want to try to mix it up to show the present as well.
"We had great feedback at our last two exhibitions -- a historical exhibition of the history of karate in Hawaii, and 'Wood, Skin, Ink,' tracing the Japanese aesthetic in modern tattooing -- and we want to keep that going."
COURTESY JAPANESE CULTURAL CENTER
Koga works.
|
|
Koga's show will feature several amorphous sculptures of white plaster, ranging from 3 to 8 feet tall, open to viewers' interpretations.
"The idea is to have a place for contemplation," said Koga. "A space to be able to walk through and reflect -- because when I created the pieces, it created an environment where I thought about the people from my past and life in general."
The exhibition is sponsored by Kirk Caldwell, Donna Tanoue, Wesley Park and Daphne Park, and Takamune said the gallery, as a nonprofit center, relies on such community donations and sponsorships to present its shows.
"We use the funds for postcards, mailing, banners. All this collateral, all these little things add up," Takamune said. "We're lucky there's a lot of support for the arts in this community."
The exhibition will continue at 2454 S. Beretania St., 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays to Saturdays through March 3. Admission is free. For more information, call the JCCH at 945-7633.