Clearwater and area artists seem to be adopting a higher profile for their work.
Doris Laner just finished hosting an art show in Upper Clearwater Hall, Bob Cuming has a show happening at Café Motivo in Kamloops until Aug. 12, and now Jana Sasaki will be giving a tour of a show in the Kamloops Art Gallery that features one of her works.
Re-Story: Works from the Permanent Collection is happening at the Kamloops Art Gallery from June 30 to Aug. 25. The exhibition features significant works from the KAG’s permanent collection plus works borrowed from other institutions and from local artists’ studios.
One of the works on display will be a photo intaglio etching on paper by Sasaki titled Socks. The piece shows a pair of legs in traditional Japanese decorated socks or tabi. On one side the socks are in a pair of Japanese thonged slippers. Beside that the socks are wearing a typical pair of Canadian shoes.
“It’s about being half-Japanese,” Sasaki said. “When I was growing up I was largely influenced with Japanese culture from my grandparents. I was drawn to the aesthetics of Japanese culture ... I even took seaweed to school for lunch.”
Kamloops Art Gallery bought the etching for its permanent collection in 2009.
During the art gallery tour, Sasaki will connect themes in her own work associated with her experiences growing up as a Japanese Canadian with issues addressed by other artists in the exhibition.
The recognition from Kamloops Art Gallery isn’t the only positive reinforcement Sasaki has received lately.
“It’s been a very good year for my artistic career,” she said.
Last winter she did an art residency in Amsterdam, working with artists there and then holding
an exhibit of her work.
She presently has one of her pieces in a show at the Manhattan Graphics Center. She plans to fly to New York to take part there. This fall, her work will be part of a juried exhibit in Vancouver.
Originally from Merritt, Sasaki has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Thompson Rivers University, and was a recipient of the Helen Pitt award. She has exhibited her work locally as well as internationally in Japan, USA, Europe and the U.K.
Sasaki’s tour of Re-Story: Works from the Permanent Collection at Kamloops Art Gallery will be on Thursday, July 19 at 7 p.m. There will be no charge for admission.