Lot 19 Art Precinct in Langslow Street was excited to launch its first exhibition of 2023 last weekend, Isabelle Kawai Vincent’s It’s too Black and White.
Growing up the first second-generation Japanese Australian in Castlemaine, Isabelle Kawai Vincent was surrounded by Japanese images from books, magazines, posters, kimonos, Japanese ornaments and music.
While completing a Bachelor of Fine Arts, she embraced the innate Japanese influence that was becoming evident in her art, and initiated her own study of Japanese art as it was almost non-existent in Australia at that time.
Over the years, Isabelle garnered knowledge, skill and techniques of Western-style art, but her thirst for Japanese styles of art grew.
In 2010, she was awestruck by an artist named Hidekichi Shitemoto and their live painting performances, and in 2016, after a period of feeling stagnant as an artist, Isabelle travelled to Japan to take up a residency at Studio Kura in Kyushu.
There she attended a Kodaimoji (ancient Kanji script) lesson by Kenryo Hara, the master of Bokkoku, and after holding a huge brush loaded with Sumi-e ink, she was revived!
Isabelle relocated to Japan soon after to continue studying Kodaimoji and Sumi-e techniques.
Isabelle works intuitively so her art varies from being purely Kodaimoji to a fusion of Kodaimoji and Sumi-e painting.
Her artistic journey continues to evolve in her attempts to express inner truth, and discover the hidden essence of Japanese calligraphy, art and culture.
The latest exhibition focuses on art Isabelle created while living and studying Kodaimoji, the ancient form of Kanji, Japanese Sumi-e Ink painting, in Japan for five years.
Isabelle will do a live painting performance, accompanied by live music on Saturday January 21.
The performance tells a Japanese folk story about the complicated relationship between a Japanese Sea Princess and a hunter.
The performance is accompanied by recorded music composed by Shigeyuki Konita and the music is played by his band, Kashiko.
The visual images are of Sumi-e paintings and Kodaimoji (ancient form of Japanese Kanji) will be painted live in front of your eyes as the story evolves.
See the Lot 19 website for details.
