naoe suzuki - blog: March 2012

Tomorrow is the last day of the exhibit. I’m so grateful to have had this opportunity to play and create in this space. It’s been fun to see all my works coming together with such diverse styles. There are drawings (pen, mineral pigment and ink), site-specific installation with Elmer’s poster tack on painted walls, and another site-specific installation using the overlay maps from the US Army Air Defense School in the late 50s, artist’s tapes and Elmer’s poster tack. All these pieces relate to water, but visual effects and also contexts are dramatically different from one another. The color of blue was a key element throughout all these pieces visually. Many people told me that they find it soothing and relaxing, despite some rather disturbing images of intestines and organs in details. I was glad to hear that.

People at the Women’s Studies Research Center were really engaging and supportive. Feminist scholars rock! Many of them gave me really insightful feedback, asked me interesting questions and gave me much encouragement by saying that my show was a top-class! Wow. That was so sweet. These words help keep me going. So did all my friends, family and colleagues who came to see the exhibit. I’m just grateful for all the support―Thank you all! I was also happy that my parents came from Japan to see this exhibit.

Michele L'Heureux tweaking the lights before the show opens.

In addition, I truly enjoyed working with the curator, Michele L'Heureux. She is also a great artist. She was patient with me when I told her that I wanted to show my new work (when I didn’t even have a new body of work), and she was very understanding of the needs of working artists as she herself is one. I had submitted a different body of work as a proposal two years ago, and the selection committee accepted it. But I didn’t want to show those works anymore. She let me postpone the exhibition time because I also got really busy with my new work at Brandeis University. (Coincidentally, I was hired as a senior program coordinator for the Program in Peacebuilding and the Arts at Brandeis University shortly after I learned about their acceptance of my proposal.) She made more studio visits to see my slow progress and told me to keep working. So, I really appreciate her flexibility, understanding and support all along the process. All and all, I’ve had a great experience with this show. Artist’s tapes and Elmer’s poster tack didn’t disappoint me either, and they stayed on the wall too!

Check out the images from this exhibit, BLUE on my website. See the exhibit catalog.