event
Mayuko Ono Gray: Opening Reception & Artist's Talk

About the event

Artist Statement:

Reflecting a life shaped by both Japanese and American cultures, my graphite drawings intertwine the influences of traditional Japanese calligraphy with the techniques and aesthetics of Western drawing.

Growing up in Japan, I spent Saturday afternoons under the guidance of my Sensei, a calligraphy master. Each week, we practiced assigned words, striving to replicate the Sensei’s example with precision. Success depended on mastering the nuances of line quality- the varying speed, pressure, and angle of brush movements- while achieving a rhythm and grace in the handling of the brush. These early lessons instilled in me a deep respect for the harmony and discipline intrinsic to traditional Japanese art.

In high school, my artistic focus shifted as I prepared for entrance exams to Japanese art universities. Saturdays were no longer spent in a tatami-mat calligraphy studio but in a Western-style art atelier. I exchanged calligraphy brushes for malleable graphite and charcoal. Pedestals, still lifes, and Roman busts replaced the Sensei’s calligraphy samples. Instead of dozens of rice paper sheets, I focused on a single piece of high-quality cotton paper, meticulously rendering illusionistic volumes in chiaroscuro and sfumato. This duality between Japanese and Western traditions has profoundly influenced and shaped my artistic path.

Traditional Japanese art often unites word and image, and my work follows this path in a unique way. My pieces typically feature images drawn from everyday encounters- people, animals, and still lifes- paired with Japanese proverbs. These proverbs are written in intertwining hiragana and kanji characters, forming a single, continuous line that moves across the pictorial plane. Beginning at the top right and ending at the bottom left, this calligraphic line mirrors the structure of traditional Japanese writing. It also serves as a metaphor for life itself- a journey with a beginning and an end, punctuated by a complex, unfolding path. Proverbs offer succinct yet profound reflections on human nature, providing timeless lessons that resonate across the generations.

I incorporate motif of bubbles, which carry multiple symbolic meanings. They represent the energy emitted by atoms that constitute matter and form, while also symbolizing the soul or spirit- an invisible yet essential element of our existence that coexists with the physical body. Each year, I create at least one self-portrait to document the signs of my physical aging. As I grow older and witness the gradual decline of my body, I find myself increasingly captivated by and compelled to affirm the existence of the intangible.

This fascination with the unseen, alongside a celebration of the physical forms and daily moments from my life, forms the essence of my practice. My work unfolds as a dialogue between the tangible and the intangible, the temporal and the timeless, and the deeply personal and the universally shared.