Hoboken-Based Artist Returns for Second Show at the Museum
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Hoboken, NJ – Dec. 9, 2013 – At first glance, his works appear to be delicately painted in saturated colors and fine lines. The lights of New York City twinkle across the Hudson, a fine tracery of fireworks showers down over the river, tree branches twist in the wind. But step closer to the pictures and you just might be able to detect the sliced paper. In some cases, there might be four or five layers, but he uses fine origami paper, so the surface is virtually flat. It’s a technique known as “kirigama,†in Japan, but is practiced in many forms, including much of Matisse’s late work.
Meet the artist and learn more about kirigama at the opening reception on Saturday, December 15, from 2 – 5 p.m., for Slices of Beauty on the Hudson, Cut-Paper Works by Hiro Takeshita, in the Upper Gallery. The event is free. The works will be on view through January 19.
“I always enjoy sketching scenes on the Hoboken waterfront, of people enjoying the outdoors, walking, kids playing, the happy moments,†he says. “Art is communication; I like to share the joy and beauty with other people.â€
Hiro Takeshita was born in Nagasaki, Japan, and from an early age was interested in art and American culture. Born two years after the atomic bomb blast in his native city, he can still recall his mother’s searing memories of that day. However, he also recalls the kindness of American soldiers and being captivated by American television shows on television, which ultimately motivated him to move to the U.S. in 1977 after studying art and print-making in Tokyo.
The bright colors of his native city and his fascination with American pop culture led him to admire artists of the post-Impressionist period, particularly Henri Matisse, Abstract Expressionists like Richard Diebenkorn and Pop Artists, especially Andy Warhol. Continue reading “Slices of Beauty on the Hudson, Cut-Paper Works by Hiro Takeshita†–New Art Exhibit Opens Sun., Dec. 15, at Hoboken Historical Museum