Art news - In the Present Moment: Buddhism, Contemporary Art, and Social Practice, Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff, Alberta, Canada

A group exhibition ' In the Present Moment: Buddhism, Contemporary Art, and Social Practice' opened at Walter Phillips Gallery, Banff Art Centre on September 14th.  Congratulations and gratitude to curators, Haema Sivanesan and Jacqueline Bell, and the preparatory team for their hard work. Congratulations to wonderful fellow artists🙏🏼(see ⬇️ )

I am humbled that 17 drawings from ‘Drawings from Dharamsala’ are included in this exhibition.

Photos below are installation shots before adding captions (sent by Haema Sivanesan, the curator)

Each drawing was drawn dedicating to a fellow human who sacrificed his/her life for others' dignity and freedom.  I am glad their existences will be recognised in the different part of the world.

Opening Sept. 14, 5-8pm @waterphillipsgallery in Banff

カナダのアルバータ州、バンフにあるバンフ・アート・センターのウォルター・フィリップス・ギャラリーで、『In the Present Moment: Buddhism, Contemporary Art, and Social Practice」が9月14日から始まりました。ヘマ・シヴァネサン　キュレーションによる９人の作家のグループ展です。８人の作家さんの素晴らしいインスタレーションやビデオ、タブローと一緒に、「ダラムサラからの絵」の１７点が展示されています。
私は残念ながら行けませんが、もしバンフにいらっしゃる方がいたら、どうぞお立ち寄りください。

それぞれの絵は利他の精神で自分の命を犠牲にして逝ってしまった人のことを思って描いたものです。
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𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: 𝗕𝘂𝗱𝗱𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗺, 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝘁, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗼𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲

Sameer Farooq, Robert Filliou, Tomoyo Ihaya (@tomoyoihaya), Haruko Okano (@okanoharuko), Tina Pearson (@pearstina), Chrysanne Stathacos (@chrysannestathacos108 ), Susan Stewart, Charwei Tsai (@charweitsai), Paul Walde (@paulwalde), and Lam Wong

Curated by Haema Sivanesan

September 15 - December 13, 2023

In the Present Moment: Buddhism, Contemporary Art, and Social Practice examines how artists in North America have drawn on Buddhism as a methodology of art practice. It considers how Buddhism has contributed to important developments in contemporary art including the dematerialization of the art object, a phenomenon that radicalized art production and was key to the development of conceptual art and participatory art practices. The exhibition demonstrates the cultural impact of Asia on North America and reflects on an ongoing history of cross-cultural encounter and exchange.

Artist books, multiples and scores by George Brecht, Robert Filliou, Dick Higgins and Takako Saito; John Cage; Dick Higgins, George Brecht; Robert Filliou; Pauline Oliveros; Yoko Ono; and La Monte Young (ed).

https://www.banffcentre.ca/in-the-present-moment

The stars and trees witnessed - Gwanju and Yun Dongju

                                                                                                     copyright Tomoyo Ihaya 2023

I came to know Gwangju, its history and the poet, Yun Dongju when I had a solo exhibition in Gwangju in 2018. This was an incident that came to real because of Mr. Jin Yongju,  a Korean writer and researcher on art and peace, found drawings on this blog. He followed and came to see my solo exhibition in Tokyo and arranged a solo exhibition in Korea in the same year. 

When I was in Gwangju,  a group of people helped together to install the exhibition called 'Empathy - Ninjye' showcasing my works on the theme of meaning of living and dying and empathetic compassion. Before I left there, they took me to an 'old' cemetery, where activists and victims of the democratic uprising in 1980. were buried. It knocked me down and I was in tears without word.  Since then, every year when May comes,  I think of Gwangju and draw drawings as my offering to them. 

At the opening of the exhibition, after hearing my schooling in Tokyo,  a woman came up to me and asked "Do you know Yun Dongju? ".

I said 'No, I do not".  She replied, "You went the same university as he did, how come you do not know about him?".  She was not upset but surprised.  My friend explained to me he was one of the most beloved poet in Korea. He lived during the war time, when Korean Peninsula was colonized by the Japanese military government and came to Japan to study at Rikkyo and Doshisha University. Because he was writing poems in Korean, which was prohibited at that time, he was arrested and imprisoned in Fukuoka. 

He died in that prison along with his cousin after being injected unknown chemical. 

When I returned Japan, I bought his poetry book ' The Sky, Wind, Stars and Poems' ( both in Japanese and Korean) and read it though.  I felt ashamed that I did not know about this poet while majoring in the literature. Since then I read his poems, learned more about the history of Korea (succession of hardship), and carry his book whenever I set for another travel.  Just as he lives in all Korean people's hearts, he lives in my heart too. 

Gwangju and Yun Dongju.  Whenever I draw something for Gwangju, Trees and Yun Dongju's stars appear. 

                                                                copy right tomoyo ihaya 2023

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwangju_Uprising  ( Gwangju Uprising)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yun_Dong-ju  (Yun Dongju)