Yasuyo Maruyama
Mind’s Eye
When: November 7 - December 5, 2020
Opening Reception: Saturday November 7, 12-5 PM
Limited Entry: FREE tickets via EventBrite
Ro2 Art is proud to present Mind’s Eye, a solo exhibition featuring new works by artist Yasuyo Maruyama. The show will run from November 7 through December 5, 2020. The exhibition will open with an artist reception at Ro2 Art downtown located at 110 N Akard St. Dallas, TX 75201 and will take place from 12-5 PM. Attendance to the reception will be limited to groups no larger than ten over 20 minute intervals - Reservations available via EventBrite: ro2.us/yasuyo
Yasuyo Maruyama’s first solo exhibition at Ro2 Art is a graceful depiction of existing people translated into new identities with an earnest expression of gratitude toward her subjects. Focusing on the human face, Maruyama considers the atmosphere, colors, and gestures during her everyday interactions with people to conceive her new ‘someones.’ Vibrant realms of solid color surround her subjects, contrasted by refined details drawing the gaze toward shimmering prismatic eyes. The artist describes recovering from atopic dermatitis as a teenager as spurring her affection for the human face. Along with her outside subjects’ stories, she painted in personal difficulties and ideations. However, despite her past hardships and the current events affecting our lives, Maruyama seeks to nurture a caring heart. Mind’s Eye emanates a hopeful spirit of tranquility in a benevolent act of storytelling.
Artist Statement
In everyday life, through my interactions with people, I remember the scenes, atmospheres, colors, and certain gestures. Each one of them is inspiration for my work.
When I was a teenager, I suffered severe atopic dermatitis and recovered from skin keloid. Since then, I have been very interested in human faces and created paintings that are a reflection of my own problems and ideals, which are then combined with the model’ s personality and their stories. While I find similarities and differences in gender and races as delightful encounters, in my mind, I create “someone” or a new character from my model. Using existing people as media, I intend to depict grace in each person.
As we know, the COVID-19 pandemic has seriously affected people’s lives throughout the world. Although I have been restricted from many things, the time given to me doesn’t change. The ups and downs of feelings seemed to crush my heart from everyday events and news. It was time to face myself and nurture a caring heart. It was a big turning point. I wonder if I have ever felt the joy of being alive like this at the same time as the fear and anxiety of death for this change.
I titled the exhibition, "Mind's Eye" with a prayer of gratitude not only to those in my paintings, but also to everyone. Each person's personal feelings are stored in their hearts and eyes can express their feelings. In this exhibition, I exhibit 11 paintings of the portrait series, which have been created in the years since I moved to Texas in 2016.
About The Artist
Yasuyo Maruyama was born in Kanagawa, Japan and currently lives and works in Texas. She received her MFA in 2011 and BFA (Painting) in 2009 from Tokyo Zokei University in Tokyo, Japan. She has exhibited in New York, Houston, Dallas, Korea, Hong Kong, Tokyo, and Los Angeles and has also won several awards and jury prizes for her highly skilled oil painting technique.
About Ro2 Art
Ro2 Art, a contemporary fine art gallery located in The Cedars Neighborhood near Downtown Dallas, represents a diverse group of emerging, mid-career, and established contemporary artists – many with ties to the North Texas Region. The gallery, founded in 2010 by mother-and-son partners Susan Roth Romans and Jordan Roth, regularly collaborates with organizations such as The MAC and Cedars Union and maintains an exhibition program within the Magnolia Theatre at West Village and other satellite venues. Ro2 Art has been named Dallas Observer's "Best Art Gallery" and was presented with the 25th Annual Obelisk Award for small business by the North Texas Business Council for the Arts. The gallery's art fair program has included the Dallas Art Fair, Texas Contemporary, and Art Aspen.
All works will be on view November 7 -December 5, 2020. Please join us for the opening reception on Saturday, November 7, 12-5 PM at Ro2 Art, located at 110 N Akard St. Dallas, TX 75215. For more information, visit www.Ro2art.com, or call Jordan Roth at (214) 803-9575. Free tickets are available via Eventbrite: ro2.us/yasuyo
Price
- FREE!
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