Unveiling Layers and Cultural Echoes in the Translucent World of Paper and Ink
Initiated and organized by The Bridge Arts Foundation, the 'SOLILOQUY' Open Call Exhibition is currently being held at The Scholart Selection Gallery in San Gabriel, California, and will run until August 17th, 2024.
Bridge Arts Foundation's Art Director, Tia Xu, engaged in a conversation about the exhibition and art with several artists participating in this exhibition. In this interview, we have the pleasure of speaking with artist Janice Nakashima.
—— Q&A ——
Tia Xu: Could you please share your background and what inspired you to pursue a career in art?
Janice Nakashima: I grew up in Northern California, in what is now called “Silicone Valley.” My parents were 2nd generation of Japanese descent. We were not exposed to fine art, but my father became a graphic designer for a small publishing business. He took an art course by correspondence and seeing him draw was fascinating to me. Later, I had a high school art teacher who was a role model for me.
Janice Nakashima, Chorale 1, 2017, Mixed--paper, acylic medium, ink, 70 x 40 in (177.80 x 101.60 cm). Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: What does "SOLILOQUY" mean to you, and how does your artwork explore this theme? Can you tell us the story behind your artwork from the exhibition?
Janice Nakashima: The word, “Soliloquy” makes me think of a state of mind in which the individual is alone with inner thoughts and feelings. This state seems to me the way an artist like myself works. It is a kind of inner conversation.
Tia Xu: How does your cultural background influence your art?
Janice Nakashima: Although I never studied Asian art or art history, I feel I have an affinity to Asian art. I learned how Asian art influenced western artists which I did study, so perhaps it was a roundabout way of being influenced by my anscestor’s culture without knowing it.
Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: What materials and techniques do you prefer to use in your art, and could you explain your choices?
Janice Nakashima: In this series, paper and ink adhered with gel medium were chosen because they can have a translucent quality so layers are revealed and concealed at the same time. The gel medium makes the paper more translucent and also helps to strengthen the paper. The papers used are tissue paper and mulberry paper and mounted onto a clear plastic surface which is both light and strong.
Tia Xu: Are there any artists or art movements that have had a significant influence on your work? If so, why?
Janice Nakashima: When I was just starting to think about art, I really responded to images of abstract expressionism. Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, and Franz Kline, are a few of the artists I liked. And I also loved Vermeer, Rembrandt, and Wyeth. What I liked about Rothko’s work was a sense of being inside the painting. I liked the energy of Kline’s work and how it seemed to convey that energy with such spare strokes.
Photo courtesy of artist.
Tia Xu: Are there any other series that you are currently working on? Would you mind sharing them with us?
Janice Nakashima: I have been working on a series of constructions of mixed media such as screen wire and paper. The theme of this series is about refugees, unhoused people, and the effects of war. In contrast to my more abstract work, these have specific imagery of boats and tents to represent this global population that is so vulnerable.
The Bridge Arts Foundation's "SOLILOQUY" Open Call Exhibition Installation View, Photo: ©The Bridge Arts Foundation / Luna Hao
ABOUT OPEN CALL EXHIBITION PROGRAM
The Bridge Arts Foundation's "SOLILOQUY" Open Call Exhibition Installation View, Photo: ©The Bridge Arts Foundation / Luna Hao
Bridge Arts Foundation's Open Call Exhibition Program is designed to provide support for early-career artists. The "SOLILOQUY" Open Call Exhibition has thoughtfully selected 18 talented artists from over 500 submissions, employing a selection process that involves art professionals. "SOLILOQUY" opens from July 13th to August 17th, 2024.
ABOUT ARTIST
Janice Nakashima
Lives and Works in California
As a woman artist in California, I have been fortunate to have the freedom to explore many ideas and mediums through the years and have done, in addition to painting, some installations and constructions that speak to environmental and social justice issues. As a Japanese, I also can relate to some of the traditional asian aesthetic and also the challenges of being a minority. My work has been shown in college galleries, commercial galleries, and in public facilities as commissions.