Morisawa Art Studio

                 

Northwest Designer Craftsmen (NWDC) Artist



   


   



Frederick Holmes and Company, Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, Pioneer Square Seattle WA

Public Art Projects both Washington and Oregon States, National Juried Shows and Museum Exhibitions:

10 Women National Exhibition Texas, Invitational. March-April. 2017 Dallas- Richardson Texas

Artist Forum - Crow Asian Collection Museum Invitational Event. March 2017. Dallas Texas

NWC American Nationwide Biennial 2017, Norman, OK 
 
City of Edmonds Public Library, Solo Show Feb.- Mar. 2017 Edmonds, WA

City of Summamish,City Hall Group Exhibition April- June 2017 Summamish, WA

City of Kent Public Art Project Exhibition, Two Persons Shows and Summer Exhibition, Kent WA ongoing- October 2016

City of Seattle and Seattle Center Poet Garden Project, Seattle Center 2016

"Morse Code Project"  at Poetry Garden ongoing during Seattle Art Fair, May 1st - August 7th,2016

Aurora Highway Street Art Public Art Project - City of Shoreline, King County 

Utility Box Design Public Art Project on Aurora Avenue during Aug xx, 2016, ask City of Shoreline for details

City of Seattle Public Art Project Art Interruption 2015, Seattle Central District

Heart of Seattle Central District downtown, visitors, people enjoyed seeing Naoko's installation artworks.

"Mosaic Garden" Naoko Morisawa Solo Outdoor Exhibition  Sept. 3 - Jan 3, 2016 

More information can be found at http://www.seattle.gov/arts/art-interruptions-2015

Macy's Art Gallery (Two Persons Exhibition with Esther Ervin) 3rd Floor Gallery, 3rd x Paine, Seattle, WA,

January 1 - February 28, 2016  Reception Feb. 18 from pm 630-830

City of Edmonds Public Fence Art Installation Project I    2nd Ave x Dayton St.

Green Tree- Green Wave, Outdoor exhibition - November 2015 - August 2016

City of Edmonds Public Fence Art Installation Project II   Main St. x  8th Ave. 

Liberated Octopus- Green Lines, Outdoor exhibition - March - June 2016

Anacoretas Fine Art Festival, At Port Anacoretas Festival, WA   August 1- 7, 2016

Art Port Townsend, Annual Juried Show, Northwind Art Center, Port Townsend WA, Aug 4-28

Shunpike Storefronts@ South Lake Union, Amazon Town Area 2016

Window showcasing installation on Mercer Street, my Green 3D Tube art installation will be shown March 18- July 12, 2016

Pratt Fine Art Center 34th Annual Auction @ Bell Harbor International Center, Seattle WA  April 30 2016

White River Valley Museum, Small Works Big Presents 2015, The Gift of Art 2015. Nov.-Dec  Auburn, WA

Potter Art Gallery, "Patchwork and Thread" Invited Exhibition 2016, Invited by R. Foley, Missouri Western State University, MO

Seattle Center and City of Seattle Public Art Project: Seattle Center Poet Garden Project 2016, Seattle, WA,
CrossStitch -Decoding, outdoor exhibition, May- Aug 2016

Commissioned Work Available in Greater Seattle Area and Portland for Small works less than 24 x18 inch

Selected into lots of publication, juried show in regional, national and international level. Showing artwork throughout WA and beyond.

I would like to work your unique mosaic art (mosaic and acrylic/ oil) commission basis for your lovely shoes etc in commission.
This is very special gift for your loved one. Available price is upto $3K( it depends on the images and intricate level), and limited to our studio network, possibly arranged from Seattle, Portland and Tokyo/ Osaka.
The image you can refer is such My Collection Series Gift II, Gift III and Piccadilly image.

Payment will be arranged through Paypal. You can leave inquiry letter and image picture there. Requests are accepted from Seattle area or domestic US only. Half of Amount Deposit need to be paid first, and the rest will be arranged when work is completed for delivery. I accept only one commission per month, and its first come basis, though I might decline depend on the request. Average delivery from the NW customers, our delivery to downtown Seattle is about 45 -60 days.
 

 
 My Collection - Picaddily: Artist Trust Fine Art Auction 2015, Hand-Crafted Wood Mosaic and Acrylic, Oil and Sumi

Kate Alkarni Gallery, Seattle WA @upcoming at Pioneer Square new location 2016 -TBD


My artworks has been shown in contemporary art exhibitions both in the USA and International, as well as printed in modern art collection magazines, news etc. Recently my works has been in selected by City of Seattle, Seattle Department of Transportation, and City of Shoreline for Public Art Project, as well as being considered for Art collection by Seattle-based company. Thanks, there are testimonials critics, and commentary to follow.

Recent Commentary:

"21st Century update of traditional Japanese wood mosaic popular in the Edo period", after I have researched Japanese art history.

By David Francis, PhD Contemporary Theory UW, Shoreline Art Coordinator, Independent art curator


- Naoko Morisawa’s mosaic artwork is hand-made of thousands of very small slices of natural and oil-dyed (wood) chips on board. She incorporates the patterns in the wood and enhances them with oil-stain to explore imagery that comes from common items: a cupcake, shoes, a wave, and waterfalls etc. Her work has been exhibited internationally and locally at Seattle Art Museum Gallery; Whatcom Museum; Wing Luke Museum; FCA Gallery in Vancouver-BC Canada; contemporary art museums and galleries in Ginza, Aoyama, Kobe, Kawasaki, Yokohama, and Tokyo (Japan); Dublin Biennial International 2014 (Ireland); Roma Art International Biennial, 2015 and selected from Florence Biennial International 2015 (Italy). http://www.naokomorisawa.com

Morisawa’s artwork also wonderfully straddles the border between craft and fine art, which the Northwest as a region is widely recognized for. In Japan, traditional mosaic using wood (parquetry and/or marquetry) is called yosegi, and dates from the Edo period (1603-1868), when an explosion of functional objects incorporated the craft, including puzzle boxes and screens. With a little background research, it becomes impossible to look at Morisawa’s work, for instance, and not think of a screen such as the fireplace screen by Nakajima Mokudo Kikutaro) 1889-1968 in The Art of Japanese Craft: 1875 to Present (Felice Fischer, Philadelphia Museum of Art in association with Yale UP, 2008, 29), with its still life and painterly effect. As Fischer emphasizes, Japanese craft really accelerates in the early 20th century, with poet and sculptor Takamura Kotaro famously observing that art was about more than just technical mastery. (This is echoed wonderfully by glass pioneer Harvey Littleton of the American Studio Glass movement who said that “technique is cheap.”). Locally, it’s also a short step from Morisawa back to woodworker and architect George Nakashima, whose interest in the grain pattern of wood helped shape the growth of the American Craft movement.
 
As much as Morisawa  has perfected her technique over many years, her choice of subject matter and aesthetic for fashion (especially shoes) and flower arrangements (ikebana in Japanese tradition), as well as the new interest in geometric abstraction, belies a deeper project than what we normally associate with a utilitarian or craft-based object. As the art of craft in general overlaps more and more with contemporary art (for example, By Hand: The Use of Craft in Contemporary Art, Shu Hung and Joseph Magliaro, eds. Princeton Architectural Press, NY, 2007; Crafting a Continuum: Rethinking Contemporary Craft, ed. Peter Held and Heather Sealy Lineberry, ASU Art Museum, 2013 [the latter came to Bellevue Arts Museum in 2014]), Morisawa’s work is increasingly resonating  with the contemporary focus on materials and process, sharing the characteristic of lengthy production time with a lot of other wood, metal, and ceramic-based art forms. In essence, her work provides a fascinating 21st century update to the traditional wood mosaic of the Edo period.-




Published Commentary 2015-2017

Featurd Nationwide Art Magazine Dec. 2015 - 120 minutes interview with Gary Faigin, Gage Academy Founder

THE WOOD ART OF NAOKO MORISAWA
Gary Faigin, Gage Academy Founder, 120 min. interview

Unlike more conventional careers (i.e. dentistry or accounting), art is a profession with as many paths to success and mastery as there are artists.  Seattle-based Japanese artist Naoko Morisawa’s career has followed a particularly unusual trajectory, so it is no wonder that her current body of work – mosaic-like paintings made up of hundreds of tiny pieces of natural and oil-stained wood veneer – is also highly original. The life of a tree and the energy in each grain of wood are why Naoko uses wood, from her artist statement.

---(Main body paragraph abbreviated, please find in the magazine #43, thank you. ) ---

Although she has done non-representational images in the past, Naoko is currently at work on an entire series of abstractions.  Like many other abstract artists, she enjoys the open-ended interpretations that non-figurative work can inspire. Naoko also explains that her new series is a response to feelings that she could express no other way.

In some cases, these feelings have a very specific focus. “Energy V – Gravity”, one of the most non-figurative of the recent works, is inspired by the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami. “I did not want to create images that focused on suffering, or sadness”, said Naoko.  Instead, “Gravity” is an abstract depiction of energies at work under the earth’s surface, where thousands of jagged, fractured puzzle pieces seem to be breaking out of a superimposed, geometric cage.  Other works in the series are inspired by other aspects of the natural world, like waves, jellyfish, forests, and even the Big Bang.
 

Her studio also includes pieces that are more experimental, like recent collages where the wood shards are replaced by colored strips of corrugated cardboard, creating a level of shadow and texture quite different and complimentary to that of the flatter wood pieces.  Even her finished wood paintings are the result of trial and error, since the final result – achieved after many days of construction - is unpredictable; some works need to be scraped down and rebuilt partway through. 

Naoko Morisawa’s artistry thrives in a very personal intersection of East and West, traditional and non-traditional approaches, innovation, craft and fine art. Where it goes from here, given her history of experimentation and innovation, is an open-ended question.



At Kirkland Art Center 2016 Artists Exhibition Reception, April 1st. 2016

Frederick Holmes, Seattle Pioneer Square Gallery Owner, Seattle WA   (Speech noted by Kirkland Art Center Manager, Colleen)

My metrics for deciding which pieces to include in the show are simple. "Skill and imagination in equal measure." I have selected pieces that demonstrated not only a certain amount of technical skill, but also those that had something interesting to say and showed creativity. It wasn't easy looking through images of 218 piece online rather than getting to view the pieces in person to make a decision, but that seeing the pieces there in person at the exhibit confirmed my belief that the works I had chosen were strong. Everything in the KAC exhibit was something that I would have in my own gallery. When making my decision about which pieces to award with my 2 Judge's Awards, I had a really difficult time making his decision, and that I went back and forth and changed my mind a lot. Ultimately, the two I chose (Naoko Morisawa's piece "Wave- Hybrid" and Evelyn Hirata's "Phoebe Coming and Going") demonstrated to me some of the most interesting things being done in contemporary art right now.



Testimonials:


"Highly Original" - Gary Faigin, Seattle Gage Academy Founder and established artist, Seattle Times Art-Contributor

"When I first saw the work of Naoko Morisawa I was immediately taken by the voice and the message of each piece. To me enjoyment of art involves not only the eyes but also the emotions of the heart. They must be balanced with the viewer’s intellect and spirit. Naoko’s work is Visual Poetry. It is a statement about nature, both romantic and classic, showing the aura which surrounds it and emphasizes the formula principals of art- balance, rhythm, repetition, contrast, harmony, unity, variety, order, discipline, and freedom. Her work fills a room with a lovely melody and the song of life enjoyed." by Mr.Ulmer, Art Collector 


"Morisawa’s outdoor sculptural work – in some cases, using sections of garden hose in a wonderful, fruit-like assemblage – further clarify the presence of a true pioneer in her own right, restlessly seeking to put the resources of the past to work in the present. In her work, it’s possible to see that true innovation depends on the past and one’s ability to capture its essence and articulate a new perspective. Without a sense of tradition, I’m not sure we could really have innovation in this sense – and Morisawa’s work has helped me grasp this paradox."- by Dr. Francis. City of Shoreline Public Art Manager


"Oh my goodness - your work is incredible. So beautiful!  We'd love to have you on board for our magazine! Your work would be the perfect addition. I'm so excited! " by Amanda Jane Jones, Founder and Art Designer of Kinfolk Magazine

"Amazing, always Great Craftsmanship" by Ms.Amy Jones, Nordstrom Marketing Manager, Seattle

"Congratulations on being selected as the recipient of the distinguished award from Santo Foundation!
We are proud of your distinguished work,and wish you continued success for years to come." Yuko Kaifu, President, Japan House

"The world would be a poorer place if Naoko's work did not exist." Bernard Jacobson, The Seattle Times Arts Contributor

"Some of the most interesting things being done in contemporary art right now." Frederick Holmes, Seattle Gallerist

"Exceptionally beautiful piece at Dublin Biennial 2014." by Stephanie Browner, Man Ray Trust, NYC

"Best of Luck" Joe Goode, an American Artist, who exhibited with Warhol,Lichtenstein, Curator NWC Biennale 2017

"Thank you for being with us and sharing your artwork with us" Dr. Berrin Moore III, Director National Weather Center

"Your detailed mosaic work reminds the work of Manabu Ikeda's work" A curator in Japanese museum

" I stop and admire your work every morning before coming into the office. Your artwork took my breath away." 
by a lady working for City of Seattle at Municipal Tower Building, Seattle

"If you plan/ consider to visit NYC without particular reason, you may be better shorten your stay, instead purchase one of
Morisawa's small work. And you will be happier about your decision made." by Inoue, an international traveler

"Especially liked the abstract pieces from the Energy and the Wave series at City of Seattle Exhibition. Wonderful work!"
by Barbara Shaiman, Independent Curator, Seattle WA

"The incredible work. I really love your work! It's stunning! " by Benjamin Gannon, Seattle WA

"I love the work you created, details and design." by Yuval Sofer, YS-Built Owner, Bellevue WA

"Your artwork is like a Diamond" by Myrtle Tanaka, Honolulu, HI 

"She transfigures ordinary items into something really extraordinary", by Ms.Hurley, Seattle

"Impossible to describe, but it speaks to the viewer with real power, strong work", by Ms. Katzenbach Port Townsend Leader

"Thank you Naoko, I cannot ask you more for commissioned work. You're the Best"  by Ms. Henderson, Seattle

"Astounded by her wonderful mosaic art, You'll be forgiven for mistaking her work for a painting. Amazing"
 By Mr. Tim Lawson, Artist, Founder and Executive Director of Port Townsend School of Woodworking

”Fabulous, and so Talented” by Ms. Pat Logerwell. A Board Trustee, The Wing Luke Museum. Seattle

"Thank you, Naoko. Everyday I really enjoy seeing your art in the morning"  by an Artist, Kate Snow  Port Townsend

 "Beautiful masterpiece" by Ms. Elaine Kitamura, Director of Public Affairs - Clear Channel Outdoor. Seattle WA

" I just really like this, so I buy this one, as I want to take this home." by a Canadian lady, Shaina 

" Excited to have! I have wanted to one of your artwork since the Artist Trust Edge program" an Emerging Artist WA 

"1st Prize Award for Mosaic art  for Five straight years"  Certified by ArtBuzz International Collection Competition

"She gives Japanese technique into a contemporary spin"  Katya Yefimova, The Herald News, Microsoft Producer

" I really like the garden hoses installation. It's so nice and fresh looking." Juliet Lovejoy, Shoreline College Professor 

”Very beautiful art. We have enjoyed very much. Thanks for sharing with community. Edmonds Cafe Owner, Pam

"Incredible!" Maggie Magge, Dublin Biennial Director and Curator, Dublin Ireland

"Wonderful artwork" Stephanie Browner, Dublin Biennial Advising Curator, Man Ray Trust Administrator, New York 

"FANTASTIC & LOVELY!!" Deborah Paine, Curator & Collections Manager, Office of Arts & Culture of Seattle City

"Can you make Solo Show for City of Seattle ?" Deborah Paine, Curator & Collections Manager, Seattle City

" Young people will delight in Morisawa’s “Liberated Octopus Green Lines”. Nothing surprises and delights like the
fence-art space east of Frances Anderson Center on Main Street! " Emily Hill, My Edmonds news editor, Edmonds

"So beautiful!" Mikala Woodward, Exhibit Developer, Wing Luke Museum Seattle

"I couldn't be happier to have your work. I love the Shoes Collection Series.", a buyer in Seattle

"Your art is Ichiban, Naoko san", Katherine American Artist

"Very Inspired, Impressive" by Brick Art Seattle Framing Staff

”Your works is Amazing!" by Celine Maniu, Model, Journalist and TV/Radio Personality, Seattle

"Your art is amazing and you deserve all the awards you receive!!! Congratulations." Penny Fukui, Seattle

"I like that Waterfall." by Juan Alonso-Rodriguez, an Established Artist ,Seattle

"Kawaii, I just love it." by Portlandia

"Amazing and Love it, One day your work will be shown at MoMA, New York" by George

"Pleasure meeting with you, I love your artwork!" Jo David, Seattle

"I know your artwork, I saw it before and I remembered." Gallery people, Seattle

"Your work is one of my Favorite in the juried show." Barbara Matilsky, Curator Whatcom Musuem Bellingham WA

"I love your works, Naoko!! I am so honored to have your art work in my gallery show. If anyone are not familiar with Naoko what this woman does, please look her work closely. She is a genius!"  Kate Alkarni, Kate Alkarni Gallery Owner, Seattle 


"Our Board was truly impressed with the nature of your artwork and your proposal..."  by Ms.Miller- Rosenstein, Executive Director, Puffin Foundation Ltd. "  ...continuing the dialogue between art and the lives of ordinary people."


"I am interested in having you teach a workshop with us. Your technique looks amazing and something we would like to share
 with our students."  By Kamla Kakaria, Pratt Fine Art Center, Painting Studio Manager Seattle 


"I chose works that were visually strong and clear in their meaning and content. Strong works have a refined sense of finish - a mastery of technique and a hidden quality to the labor that the artist needed to complete the work. The art must look effortless. Even if the production of the artwork required a million strokes or stitches, the finished works should convey the artist's intent above and beyond the amount of time and labor that was required to make an object. Another critical aspect of good art relates to the sense of utility or wholeness of the art object........"
by Rock Hushka, Director, Curator of Contemporary at Tacoma Art Museum - 14th Annual Port Townsend juried show

"Naoko’s wood mosaics reveal her ability to focus on the perfection of the tiniest detail, while still able to create a unified composition that is greater than the sum of its parts. Combining hundreds of tiny pieces of pre-dyed and painted wood is monumentally time-consuming, but the finished works are holistically considered and never overwrought. As you step closer to her work, new universes of appreciation open up – from the graceful lines of the hand-cut pieces, to the patterns of wood-grain visible through layers of color. Then as you step back, you enter her world of inspiration, from subjects as wide-ranging as micro-biology to her love of fashion and shoes"   by Lauren Davis, ArtXchange Gallery Manager Seattle


"The blind jury process was both fun and a challenge - I've tried to select diverse and compelling art while working towards an exhibit that could hang well all together. I know I've been exposed to many artists who are new to me, and I look forward to combining names and faces with the selected artworks. I am pleased to inform you that your work was selected to be included. All the artwork in the show was picked because of its combination of craft, concept, and execution, and based on the other works that have been picked; you are in very strong company. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to share your art with the community."
By Greg Robinson: Executive director of Bainbridge Island Art Museum, Ex-director William Traver Gallery -16th Annual Port Townsend Juried show
 

"I simply chose artworks because I thought that they would somehow speak to one another in ways that would enliven dialogue around themes, materials and the power of creativity."
by Meg Shiffler, Director of San Francisco Arts Commission Galleries. All Media Juried Show 2013


Don't wait, you can own my artwork, now is your turn for next comment..

I am glad to be selected in the following contemporary art publications in 2012 -2015. Below are only a few of my credentials in rinted materials. My art has been selected by well-known jurors and published in ArtKudos, ArtBuzz and Fortune 500 Corporations galleries such as General Electric Corporation, Nordstrom, Inc, Federal Canadian Gallery in Vancouver-BC, and City of Seattle and other nearby cities like Shoreline, Kent, Sammamish, Edmonds, Auburn, and Port Townsend as well as Seattle Times, and local other newspapers in Puget Sound WA.

 
  Dublin Biennial International 2014 Catalogue - Dublin, Ireland      Name of  Participant artists 55 Inernational artists

                 
  Hidden Treasure Artist Collection 2014 London, UK          EX LIBRIS - 100 Artists 100 Books Made in Seattle WA 2014

          

  New American Painting's Publication  5Times!                              Publication in European Countries and NYC
  Studio Visit Vol.18, Vol.19,Vol.28, Vol.29 and Vol.33/34                International Contemporary Artist Vol. IV 2012  and Vol. V
  Contermporary Art Publication Nationwide US Competition

 
Also Participated: 

Miami International Contemporary Art Exhibition during Art Basel Miami Beach

Miami Art Fair "PARALLAX AF" in December 7-9, 2013

Soho Studios 2136 NW 1st Ave. Wynwood Convention Center. Wynnwood Arts and Fashion Districts, Miami. FL

About Soho Studio

 

Bellevue First Friday Artwalk on September 7th: Bellevue Way and NE 8th,
@ Bellevue Hyatt, Bellevue Collection curated by Amy and Erick Hall, Bellevue WA

      Joined Bellevue First Friday Artwalk @ Hyatt Regency Hotel, Coutyard Bellevue

      Great Live Music Bellevue First Friday by  New Age Flamenco @ Hyatt Bellevue             

      Thanks for visiting my website from all over the USA, and other countries in Asia, Middle East, Europe and South Africa. 
 
 

© Naoko Morisawa & Morisawa Art Studio