KOKORO NO KATACHI | Image of the Heart
Kimiko Koyanagi and Michiko Stone
July 29, 2022–October 30, 2022
Exhibition Hall ( Upper Garden )
Exhibition Hours: 10:00 am to 6:00 pm (7/29-9/4/2022) ,10:00 am to 5:00 pm (9/5-10/30/2022)
(Hours subject to change during special events. Refer to niwa.org)
The Japanese Friendship Garden presents an exhibition: KOKORO NO KATACHI | Image of the Heart, which introduces two Japanese artist sisters, Kimiko Koyanagi and Michiko Stone. The two artists present a series of contemporary dolls, continuing a dialogue with traditional Japanese doll-making while exploring their own modern expressions. From the Muraoka family of Tokyo, Japan, the sisters are third-generation ningyo doll-makers. Kimiko recently moved to Los Angeles and will be exhibiting her work for the first time in San Diego, alongside her sister Michiko, who is a La Jolla resident.
Kimiko Koyanagi is a Japanese-Canadian artist who has been utilizing her family’s traditional doll-making techniques for over sixty years, while creating and developing her own distinct and singular, sculptural figures. Deep emotion and Kimiko’s philosophical meaning are instilled in the contemporary expressions of her work. A lifelong artist, Kimiko has exhibited globally in Tokyo, Vancouver, Toronto, Mexico City, New York and Los Angeles.
Michiko Stone is a Japanese artist who spent twenty years living in Malaysia, and the last thirty five years in the United States. She uses her family’s traditional doll-making techniques, but with her own unique interpretation to create poetic and expressive sculptural figurines. Her artwork has been exhibited in Japan, Malaysia, Canada, and the United States along with work by her sister Kimiko and the Muraoka family.