The Studios Gallery is very pleased to present a solo exhibition of new works by artist Nishiki Tayui. “Re:Word Within” opens with a preview on Thursday 7th August, 6.30 -8.30pm all welcome.
Born and raised in Japan, Nishiki Tayui Primarily works on 2D surface while continuing her experimentations with other visual languages, such as 3D expression and video. With her multicultural background, she continues to search for her own cultural identity through the process of creation, including her recent visit to Japan to study Japanese calligraphy and Sumi-e with a Sumi-e master. Nishiki exhibits nationally and internationally. She graduated from Portland State University with BA in Fine Art in 2005 and earned her MFA from Indiana University in Painting in 2010. Currently, she is an assistant professor of Art at the University of Idaho, USA.
Emigrating to the U.S. as a young adult Nishiki says “I am in-between, navigating the tension between my native culture and the ones I have encountered and assimilated through my experiences as a traveler and immigrant. The expression of this state of tension and my ongoing process of navigation are the subjects of my work. Juxtaposing the aesthetics of disparate cultures on the canvas, I cast light on their similarities and dissimilarities. My cultural identity is shaped in the spaces where they converge.”
In this current series of work, Nishiki uses this foundation as a basis for exploring the relationship between written language and visual images. Starting by searching for characters that embody a phrase or word expressing a particular theme the phrases are drawn in one layer with subsequent layers exploring possible nuances and creating a sense of space.
In the paintings, on Nishiki’s prefered surface of paper “for the immediacy and finality with which it actively drinks up the ink” she aims to connect emotionally to the meaning conveyed by the character or phrase “..everything I do is a physical expression of that meaning. In Decision, for example, every mark and movement is a physical manifestation of the process of decision-making. It starts from the layers of frustration, nervousness, and indecisiveness and finishes with more of a definitive, confident, and decisive mark-making. My mark-making is sincere and direct, a physical response to the emotion that is transferred into the work.
The exhibition runs until Friday 12th September, opening times Thursday 11am-7pm Friday 11am – 4pm or by appointment Tel: 07753842861 The Studios Gallery, 12 Union Road, New Mills, SK22 3ES
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