Japan Art: Shinto and the Shadow of the Past Illuminated
Lee Jay Walker
Modern Tokyo Times
Sawako Utsumi is a contemporary Japanese artist. She was born in Ishinomaki. However, sadly, Ishinomaki was especially hit hard by the tsunami (several thousand people died in this part of Japan).
Her art is based on the Kano School of Art. Yet, despite this, the color angle and the addition of a lovely Shinto shrine denote her individuality.
The MET Museum says, “The Kano school was the longest lived and most influential school of painting in Japanese history; its more than 300-year prominence is unique in world art history.”
Utsumi’s village is dreamlike. In contrast, the Shinto shrine connects the past, present, and future. Therefore, the Shinto shrine and the landscape of nature – and the community it serves – are a natural phenomenon in a cultural sense.
The BBC – concerning Shinto – says, “Kami are not inherently different in kind from human beings or nature – they are just a higher manifestation of the life energy… an extraordinary or awesome version… Kami don’t exist in a supernatural universe – they live in the same world as human beings and the world of nature.”
Overall, a delightful art piece created by Utsumi.
Modern Tokyo News is part of the Modern Tokyo Times group
http://moderntokyotimes.com Modern Tokyo Times – International News and Japan News
http://sawakoart.com – Sawako Utsumi’s website and Modern Tokyo Times artist
https://moderntokyonews.com Modern Tokyo News – Tokyo News and International News
PLEASE JOIN ON TWITTER
https://twitter.com/MTT_News Modern Tokyo Times
PLEASE JOIN ON FACEBOOK