The Tusen Takk Foundation and the Dennos Museum Center are pleased to announce the opening of Artist Spotlight: Nishiki Sugawara-Beda. The first collaboration of its kind between the two organizations, the exhibition will feature works by Tusen Takk’s summer 2021 artist-in-residence Nishiki Sugawara-Beda and will be open at the Dennos Museum from July 25 through August 29, 2021.
Artist Bio
Nishiki Sugawara-Beda is a Japanese-American visual artist based in painting and installation, and holds an MFA from Indiana University and a BA from Portland State University. She has exhibited her work in solo and group exhibitions nationally and internationally to promote cultural diversity and exchange. Exhibition venues include: Spartanburg Art Museum (SC), Morris Graves Museum of Art (CA), and Amos Eno Gallery (NY). Publications include: New American Paintings, Expose Art Magazine, AEQAI, and London Post. Awards include:Seed Grant, Diversity Fellow Program, International Enhancement Grant, Idaho Art Fellow, and Sam Taylor Fellowship. She is an Assistant Professor of Painting and Drawing at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, TX.
On her artistic practice, Nishiki Sugawara-Beda writes, “I was born and raised in Japan, where all schoolchildren learn calligraphy. Calligraphy has become an entrance point to understanding my own culture as it allows me to recognize the existence of underlying meanings in all forms—language, images, even the mundane interactions of being. This craft provides the foundation and inspiration for my practice. To speak to the core of humanity, I seek connections among cultures both from the past and present and ground myself with the origins of various matters from my native and adopted cultures. My recent works attempt to highlight an oft-forgotten engagement in contemporary society—a deeper connection with one’s own spirit. While the paintings present a moment of this spiritual engagement, I hope viewers enjoy traveling through their own inner landscapes.
More about her work can be found online: nishikibeda.com
About Dennos Museum Center, Traverse City, MI
The Dennos Museum Center builds community, sparks conversation, and inspires change for audiences of all ages through its exhibitions, programs, and the collection and preservation of art.
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