Artist Statement
About My Work
Wood is an important component in my art. The life of a tree and the energy in each grain of wood are why I use wood.
My artwork is hand-made of thousands of very small slices of natural and oil-dyed (wood) chips on board. I like to incorporate the patterns in the wood and enhance them with oil-stain. The variety of wood grain is very beautiful and the pattern is never the same. The combinations of natural and oil-stained grains create interesting shadows and impressions. My imagery comes from common items: a cupcake, shoes, a wave, and waterfalls etc.
When seen from a distance, my artwork looks like a painting. The details of the work and mosaic technique slowly emerge when the viewer comes closer. Look closely and see the vibrancy and movements of the wood patterns. By using wood mosaic I can show the life and energy. I can talk about life and the energetic atoms inside my work with my tiny wood slices.
I make art that is natural, playful and lifts people’s spirits. But I also want my artwork to be about myself, like a diary. Each piece is created with the care one would use writing a letter to a loved one or friend. Bright, fun, and unusual subjects attract and inspire me to work in new directions. Mysterious creatures/objects such as magic mushroom and jellyfish, gravity, Illusions and Waves are recurring themes in my work. My work is featured in Studio Visit magazine Vol. 19, 20, 28, 30, 34,,35, 37, 39, 41 and 45/46 in 2019 and 47/48 in 2020, and several other national and international publications printed in Seattle, Tieton, Denver, Omaha, Boston, Tokyo, London, Dublin, Athens and New York.
My work has been exhibited in the Pacific Northwest at Seattle Art Museum Gallery, CVG Show, Northwind Art Center Gallery (where I got Best of the Show, Special Award, Merit Award, and People's Choice Award), Nordstrom Corporate Gallery, Edmonds Public Library, Edmonds Art Festival, Lynnwood Convention Center, Lynnwood Public Library, Shoreline City Hall, Axis Hotel, Alexis Pioneer, Twilight Gallery in South Seattle, Tashiro Kaplan Building, Sammamish City Hall, Chase Gallery in Spokane, Whatcom Museum, Wing Luke Museum, White River Valley Museum, Harbor History Museum in Gig Harbor, ArtXchange Gallery, Kate Alkarni Gallery and COCA etc. Outside Washington State, my art has been selected for juried shows more than thirty different states in the US and I have exhibited internationally at FCA Gallery Vancouver-BC Canada, The Contemporary Museums and Galleries in Ginza, Aoyama, Kobe, Kawasaki, Yokohama and Tokyo Japan, and Dublin Biennial International 2014 Gallery in Ireland, and the National Weather Center Biennial 2017 in USA. My works have been selected and exhibited or collected in more than 30 states in the North America.
I have received an Honorable Mention Award and shortlist award from London International Creative Competition three times,. Exhibited at City of Seattle Public Gallery Exhibition at Municipal Tower Building, Roma Art International Biennial.
My artwork was selected for the permanent collection by City of Seattle and Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) and the work will be exhibited in public buildings owned by SPU and City of Seattle. City of Kent and City of f Shoreline have also collected my mosaic collage artworks, thankfully. City of Shoreline followed them and they made one piece for their permanent art collection.
Recently my works were selected for National Weather Center Biennale 2017, and Bellingham National 2019 at Whatcom Museum, WA State
CBS Seattle News named Naoko Morisawa Studio as one of Best 5 Seattle local Artists recently.
I am currently developing a new body of work using other materials such as paper, cardboard and garden hose etc in addition to wood mosaic art-form. My newest works both wood mosaics and paper mosaics are currently exhibited at Frederick Holmes and Company- Modern and Contemporary Art Gallery in Pioneer Square, Seattle and Edmonds Community College solo show. in 2019.
While most of my work is currently being exhibited on the pacific northwest of the United States, our studio is seeking to expand visibility through an international representative gallery that will bring my works to major art exhibits such as Art Basel and museums worldwide. I would like to exhibit my work in New York City and throughout Europe in major cities in Spain, the United Kingdom, France and Japan.
Naoko Morisawa
With over five-thousand and seven hundred entries and from 100 countries around the world, Naoko was selected as one of the 154 finalist artists to exhibit artwork at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the Art Olympia International Biennial 2019, Toshima- Tokyo, Japan by a panel of well-known art curators and judges. New York judges including; Florence Derieux (The director of exhibitions at Hauser & Wirth, New York , Ex- Curator of The Centre Pompidou Foundation), and Brett Littman ( The Director of the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum, New York) and international judges lnclude Emmanuelle Lequeux ( Art journalist for Le Monde, Paris), Chu Teh-I (Director of Kuandu Museum of Fine Arts, Taipei National University of the Arts, Taipei), and Zheng Lin ( Owner / Director of Tang Contemporary Art, Beijing/ Bangkok/ Hong Kong). as well as 5 leading Japanese curators and mastered artists. The exhibition in Tokyo, Japan is held in June, 2019.
In 2019 alone, Nationwide US exhibitions included Nebraska, Louisiana, Washington (Bellingham National Biennial 2019), Vancouver BC, Honolulu, Minnesota confirmed and Michigan is To Be Determined.
In order to attain/exhibit all the states in the USA gradually one by one, the opportunities of nationwide exhibition at central and mid USA such SD, OH, UT, WY, WI,AZ, IN, IA, MT being considered/ targeted during 2020-2021.
New Wave Series Project: (Woven Woods) 2014-2016 for international juried shows/ competitions.
City of Seattle and SDOT (Department of Transportation) selected my work for their Public Art Project Art Interruption 2015.-2016 Also Seattle Center and City of Seattle Selected my art installation for their Poetry Garden Public Art Project in 2016. Also Shunpike gave me an opportunity to install 3D art- Everlasting Harvest/Green Root at Amazon HQ on Mercer St. in 2016.
City of Seattle has chosen my series of artwork: Woven Woods for their public gallery Solo Exhibition during Asian Pacific American Celebration Months 2015 at Seattle Municipal Tower Building, downtown Seattle.
Once again, I am very honored that this Project got the Artist Grant Award 2015 from Puffin Foundation NJ, USA.
In 2014, my work was selected as one of the Fifty artists for inclusion in the Dublin Biennial, an International Contemporary Art Exhibition which took place in June at Dublin, Ireland.. By the way, Yoko Ono participated in the Dublin Biennial 2012.
My 2014 Project theme: New Abstract and Wave Series and My Collection Portraits etc
My 2013 Project: The Mask Series - Modern Japonism and New Abstract - Wave Series.
"Transmigration - Magic Mushroom World Series" Project 2012-2013 for international juried shows/ competitions.
I am very honored that this Project got the Artist Grant Award 2013 from Puffin Foundation New Jersey, USA.
My recent Project: Transmigration - Magic Mushrooms World, a series from all over the world.
Mushroom spores are parasitic to dead-creatures or plants and grow mushroom. This is like a Transmigration or Reincarnation.
The shape, color, and fragility of mushroom is very mysterious. This mystery inspired me to start my Magic Mushroom project.
I hope my artworks travel all around the world like a spore !
General Electric (GE) chosen my artworks for their Corporate Headquarter Cultural Fine Art Gallery exhibition during Asian Pacific American Celebration Months 2012 in Fairfield CT, USA.
At Northwind Art Center Gallery. ART Port Townsend WA 2012
Above Center: Deborah Scott's and Right: Jeff Weekly's artwork
At Pioneer Square Gallery Opening reception, published in London Art Habens Contemporary Art Magazine 2017-2018
Seattle WA USA
Artists on stage, Artist Trust Benefit Art Auction @ Fisher Pavilion Seattle Center 2013
A Snapshot from the Group show at Kate Alkarni Gallery, Seattle Design Center, Seattle Washington 2014
AXIS Pioner Square Gallery： "Ex Libris 100 artists 100 books" Exhibition Opening Night, Seattle WA March 2014
The Contemporary Arts Center "CAC 23rd Annual Juried Show" 18b Arts District. Las Vegas NV, April 2012
Mat Gleason, LA based critic and curator selected my work for this show.
Kate Alkarni Gallery @ Seattle Design Center. Lots of visitors, Seattle WA November 2013
Kate Alkarni Gallery, Matthew, a poet guy made a poem for me, next to my artworks, Thanks!!　January 2014
Featured Interview with the Weekly Herald Newpaper, July 2012 in Edmonds downtown Seattle
This artworks is selected for Studio Visit Open Press, a nationwide USA juried publication 2013
My Edmonds Artwalk Solo Exhibition: Theme: "Magic Mushroom Worlds Series" and More. July - August 2012
Thanks letter from Dublin Biennial Director, Maggie Magee, Dublin Ireland 2014
Artwork made by Alexis Dahan, NY Based French Artist at P3 Studio, Cosmopolitan Hotel Las Vegas Thanks! Alexis.
