Indigenous Art Gallery
"I dedicate this page to my good friend and artist, Ayano Ohmi."
(Click on image for full-sized view.)
I have been inspired by the rites and ceremonies of the indigenous cultures of Africa, Brazilian Indians, Australian Aborigines, and Japanese Ainu which pay homage to the integral communication of nature, humans and the cosmos. I have travelled to these regions and become familiar with the native people, their tradition and history on a personal level. This subject has been developed over the last ten years since I left my native, Tokyo to live and work as a sculptor in New York Clty.
My quest has become an ongoing endeavor to translate the transcendental powers of our earth and the timeless authority of our ancestors' traditional ways of seeing into a contemporary language. The challenge is manifested by creating stand-alone sculptures and/or installations of totemic figures. They explore and translate the emblematic construction of signs and symbols rooted in these indigenous cultures. My figures are sited in the given specific locale where they could then offer themselves as meditations on the nature of the things from whence we come.
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on images for full-sized views.
Altos de Chavon Cultural
Center Foundation
Dominican Republic, Summer 2001
by Ayano Ohmi
Email:
ohmi826@yahoo.com
Other
Works by this Gifted Artist
In Search of the Spirit
Imagine that a person could be considered a national treasure.
After World War II, Japan's traditions began to disappear. To save them, skilled artisans and artists were declared "national treasures" and elders thus honored. Six biographies of a kimono maker, a bamboo weaver, a bunraku puppet master, a sword maker, a Noh actor, and a potter are lucidly presented. Informative photographs and diagrams add dimension to the artistry of each master. The dedication, sacrifice, and skill of each are evident.
A Special Thanks to:
Ray Grist
for his generous help
and
Michael Dames
for his photography
Other Indigenous Art Galleries
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