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| Fumiko Kurokawa Moments of Grace June 3 - 29, 2011 |
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| Sumi-e by
Fumiko Kurokawa Sumi-e (literally water-ink painting), a Chinese and Japanese art form, is an extraordinarily expressive medium ideal for capturing subtle moods of quiet subjects. Unlike realistic Western painting which uses light and shadows to create an illusion of perspective, sumi-e emphasizes beauty of forms created by brush movement and ink flow on paper. In this regard, sumi-e and Oriental calligraphy share common aesthetic qualities that have no parallel in Western art. In his classic book Composition, Georgia O’Keeffe’s teacher Arthur Wesley Dow wrote on sumi-e: "The painter ...put upon the paper the fewest possible lines and tones; just enough to cause form, texture and effect to be felt. Every brush-touch must be full-charged with meaning, and useless detail eliminated. Put together all the good points in such a method, and you have the qualities of the highest art".1 This happens to be a fitting description of Fumiko Kurokawa's paintings. Fumiko Kurokawa is an accomplished sumi-e artist who paints with a pure traditional style called mottkotsu ho (without outline). Kurokawa’s brushwork is lively, delicate and graceful like a dance. Her sumi-e captures the quintessential of tranquil country life in rural Japan. Her favorite subjects are simple quiet landscapes and still life, reminders of the innocent beauty in things ordinary. But it's her exquisite composition with impeccable use of negative space that distinguishes her works. Born in the Wakayama Prefecture in Japan, Kurokawa spent her childhood surrounded by mountains and towering Japanese cedars. She had always wanted to be an artist, but raising a family kept her from her dream until she was in her late 30’s. After her youngest son entered school, she began to study sumi-e and watercolor. She was especially inspired by her sumi-e teacher Yasuo Shimizu, and her talent was recognized quickly. Since 1984, Kurokawa has been exhibiting her works in major art shows, including the Japan-France Modern Art Exhibition. Her works have brought her many awards, including Work of Excellence and Best of Show awards in the Toboku group shows in Tokyo. In 1990, Kurokawa and her late husband built a traditional country house in the town of No-se, in the mountains northwest of the City of Osaka. It was there she found the “forgotten Japan” - old houses with straw-thatched roofs, mountains with towering Japanese cedars, plenty of rice fields, and a simple life. Kurokawa flourished as an artist. She would pack her car with painting materials and drove alone to remote villages and countryside to explore and paint. It is a wonderfully nurturing place for an artist. One of her favorite subjects is snow. Sometimes, she would go out in a snowstorm to paint, allowing snowflakes falling on the paper to create dynamic effects characteristic of her winterscapes. Besides creating art, Kurokawa gets satisfaction from teaching. She was appointed by the principal of an elementary school in Osaka to start a new sumi-e class. Her devotion to the community also prompted her to offer classes for mentally and physically handicapped individuals. Her pupils’ works often surprised and inspired her. Kurokawa has been showing in Touching Stone Gallery since 2000. The current exhibition shows off her haiku-like sensibility and delicate brushwork, an exquisite style noted for its purity and grace. 1. Arthur W. Dow. 1913. Composition. The County Life Press. NY. |
Click on the images to view selected paintings.
Inquiry/order: director@touchingstone.com, see Inquiry/Order
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Fumiko Kurokawa Moment of Grace No.1 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 26" x 34.5" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Moment of Grace No.2 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 34.5" x 25.5" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Moment of Grace No.3 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 34.5" x 26" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Silent Woods No.1 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 29" x 34.5" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Silent Woods No.2 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x34" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Silent Woods No.3 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 34" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Breeze No.1 Sumi-e on Japanese paper wood frame 25" x 21" Sold
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Fumiko Kurokawa Breeze No.2 Sumi-e on Japanese paper wood frame 25" x 21" Sold
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 Fumiko Kurokawa Breeze No.3 Sumi-e on Japanese paper wood frame 25" x 21" Sold
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 Fumiko Kurokawa Summer Rain No.1 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 25" Sold |
Fumiko Kurokawa Summer Rain No.2 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 25" x 21" Sold
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 Fumiko Kurokawa Spring Brood Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 24.5" Sold |
Fumiko Kurokawa Morning Preening Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 25" Sold |
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 Fumiko Kurokawa Agariko Beech No.1 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 25" Sold |
Fumiko Kurokawa Agariko Beech No.2 Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 21" x 20" Sold
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 Fumiko Kurokawa Half Hidden Sumi-e on Japanese paper, wood frame 26" x 33" (NSF) |
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Art education
1976-1982 Studied sumi-e with Jo-ichi Fukui 1982-1985 Studied sumi-e with Yasuo Shimizu 1983-1987 Studied pencil and charcoal sketching with Jyoji Kikunami and Shintaro Yasukura 1986-1988 Studied water color painting with Minoru Mihara 1989-present President, Suiboku Nanamidori Kai (Nanamidori Sumi-e Club) 1999-present Instructor, Sankei-gakuen Osaka 2000-present Instructor, Kine Elementary School, Osaka Awards 1984 Selected for show, open competition, Nishinomiya City, Hyogo 1985 Selected for show, open competition, Itami City, Hyogo 1989 Copper prize, competition sponsored by One Painting Publisher, Tokyo 1991 Selected for show, Japan-France Modern Art Exhibition, Tokyo 1992 Work of Excellence award, Toboku group show, Tokyo Selected for show, open competition, Toyonaka City, Osaka 1994 Best of Show award, Toboku group show, Tokyo Second prize, open competition, Takarazuka City, Hyogo Solo shows 1990 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1991 Gallery Gen, Osaka 1992 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1994 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1995 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1997 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1998 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 1999 Gallery Kawanishi, Hyogo Gallery Kawachi, Osaka 2000 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2001 Gallery Kawanichi, Hyogo Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2002 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2003 Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA 2004 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 2005 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 2006 Gallery Ikeda, Osaka 2008 Gallery Kusaka, Tokyo 2011 Toyono Library, Osaka Tree House Gallery, Osaka Touching Stone Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA |
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