After the Meal
A Japanese lady sits patiently after finishing a meal.
About the art:
This is done on canvas with oil paints. The canvas is mounted to 1½" (39mm) thick museum style stretcher bars. This means the artwork is ready-to-hang. However, you could also frame it if you wish.
About the artist:
Uesugi Tomotsugu (or Tomo as his friends call him) was born in Kyoto, Japan in 1979. After growing up in Osaka, he left in search of adventure and something different in other parts of the world. His interest in other cultures led him to places like Italy and Ireland before deciding to spend some time in America.
While he sees these adventures in other countries as an exciting and unforgettable chapter in his life, he didn't realize that it would also present great opportunities for his art. During the past few years, Tomo has created a buzz about his unique artwork at several exhibitions in Southern California. In fact, I personally invited Tomo to feature his newest pieces at our Asian art exhibition in December 2006.
Tomo's artwork comes from his experiences. Some of his paintings have a very Japanese theme, from his memories of growing up in Osaka. Others are reflections of people that he's met along the way in his travels around the world. He never uses models, pictures in magazines, or other media for inspiration. It all comes from his memory, which makes the artwork more personal and emotional.
Since we, as westerners may not notice their own environment, it may surprise you to hear that Tomo thinks of California as an exotic land full of diverse people from many different cultures. He doesn't think of Japan as being that exotic, because "all the faces are similar, and the culture is so unified". He feels that in California, the faces are all different, as if the people are like colors of paint and the city is the canvas. This has allowed Tomo to live his philosophy that all races can co-existence. This is the philosophy he often expresses in his art.
The more faces Tomo sees, the more he realizes how similar we all are. He's met a friend from Iran that reminds him of a friend in Japan. And when in Japan, the people he meets often remind him of his friends in America. Through his art, he hopes that in some small way, he can show others how close or similar all of mankind is, and spawn a desire to create a less violent society where people of varying backgrounds can develop positive relationships.
