Shumei presents the work of Bernice Strawn
Shumei’s winter exhibit season continues with a 2 month exhibition beginning in January. In partnership with Katherine Benke and Insight Art Connection the Shumei International Institute is pleased to present the work of Bernice Strawn hanging in our gallery through February.
As part of Shumei’s Winter Exhibit season we will host an artist’s reception to meet Bernice Strawn on Sunday January 20th beginning at 3:00 PM. Wine, cheese and crackers will be served. We hope you will come join us in elevating spirit through the appreciation of art and beauty.
Artist’s Statement
In one of my first painting classes at the University of California, Berkeley, we used oriental brushes, ink and rice paper to study the basics. We were limited to using a few lines and perhaps a dot to make a composition that activated the space of the sheet of paper. This experience has influenced my work in various media. It teaches so much about the value of restraint, clear intention and elimination of the extraneous. A few rightly placed strokes on a page can describe a deep space.
This exercise in paying attention to subtle differences in compositions leads us to look closely and to discover uniquely beautiful things in our environments. We can appreciate the peeling white paint on an old wooden door. We develop an attitude of cherishing small things.
Saburo Hasegawa, contemporary Japanese painter, came to the California College of Arts and Crafts in Oakland where my husband, Mel Strawn, studied with him. He opened for us the great richness of Zen Buddhist ink painting. It was a time when American abstract painters were being influenced by Japanese painters and calligraphers.
For this exhibit I have selected some of my constructions from 1990-2000. They are mostly monochromatic and I feel they are influenced by Japanese sensibility.
-Bernice Strawn 2007
Through symposia, exhibitions, and community receptions, SII actively encourages the integration of art and beauty into daily life. Art can put humankind in touch with the best qualities of human nature. When touched by beauty we place a higher value on life and on all creation. The arts foster harmony both within the individual and among communities. Shumei encourages its members and friends to make the arts an integral part of their lives.
Shumei’s gallery is free and open to the public 7 days a week from 9-5 PM. To find out more about SII, or for directions to the gallery, call: 719-256-5284. To inquire about the work of Bernice Strawn, contact Katherine Benke, Insight Art Connection: 719-588-9044, or email Katherine@InsightArtConnection.com.
