You all must see Yoko Yamaguchi's show, on at the Tuggeranong Arts Centre Gallery until October 13th 2008! Yoko is Rarified's new trainee framer and a dedicated and talented artist. Her works deal with issues of cultural identity and the work is absolutely stunning in the space. All serious collectors take note, this artwork from an up and coming emerging local artist is so worthy of collection! I'll let Yoko's work do the talking, please go along and see it and support Yoko. Below is Yoko's artist statement from the show, titled; 'Only Me'.
"Name is one of the ways we identify self. Our name goes with us our entire lives, from birth to death. It may even continue after death as a memory. There can be so much feeling, passion, belief and love associated with a name.
Ones name is a very dear thing to most individuals. It is a gift from their family, and everyone has their own. My name is my only treasure. I am eternally grateful for the name my family bestowed upon me; Yoko.
My solo exhibition at Tuggeranong Arts Centre Gallery is including recent of my works which I created in School of Art, and also recent new works. This show provided a good opportunity to get to know myself, and to think about my past experiences and memories one more time. Japan and Australia are two countries that I feel a personal connection with. Each of the keywords I identified as being important to my life (self, family, personal identity, Japanese and Australian culture) opened up feelings and possibilities within my art that I have and will continue to explore. The questions I forced myself to answer regarding my own identity created answers that inspired my art.
One particular aspect I explore in my art is culture. Two different cultures dwell within me at all times, mixing but not quite blending with each other. My formative years were spent immersed in Japanese culture. Who I am now and how I perceive the world owes much to this time. Despite this heavy influence and the deep regard I have for my cultural heritage, I also feel that bit by bit, piece by piece, my identity is being transformed under the influence of Australian life. Ever so subtly I note changes in my way of thinking, my point of view.
I spent a long time trying to find a commonality between Australia and Japan until I realized that I was the answer I sought. It was me that connected these two cultures together in my mind and it is my experiences that I should try to express in my art. "
Source- Yoko Yamamguchi - Artists Statement- 'Only Me' Oct' 2008.
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