Curator’s Eye: The Hills Are Alive
- — July 1, 2008
Selected by David Domkoski, Handforth Gallery, Tacoma Public Library
Winter Thaw, 2002, mixed media, 9 x 10.75 inches
Paper. Bits of paper. Some large. Some tiny. Torn and layered, turning whiteness into lush landscapes — familiar yet containing a haunting exoticness.
Fumiko Kimura’s art always surprises me. One moment it is about subtlety and discretion. She uses just enough of her artist’s tools to share the essence of her subject with us. But then again, another work is all boldness: big gestures and sweeping colors that define her space just so. Look closer and you’ll discover that these big bold colors encompass a rainbow of hues and forms.
The simplicity of that bold statement is defined and enhanced by the complexity of that which is contained within it. Nothing is as it seems. That’s the joy of her work. It’s passionate and intimate. Using mixed-media collage with its numerous possibilities allows her works to evolve, build, change and grow to a finished piece, reflecting the personal journey she is taking as an artist. — D.D.
