Art in the Garden
Since 2007, Portland Japanese Garden has successfully introduced the work of more than 75 artists representing Japan and its unique artistic traditions.
Garden of Resonance: The Art of Jun Kaneko
From October 2022—February 2023, Portland Japanese Garden welcomed internationally-acclaimed artist Jun Kaneko.
Kaneko, winner of the prestigious Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Sculpture Center, has made major contributions to the field of sculptural art on a global scale, exploring the relationships between art, nature, and people with their bold scale and placement.
Garden of Resonance: The Art of Jun Kaneko (2022-10-04) by Artist: Jun Kaneko and Photographer Credit: Jonathan LeyPortland Japanese Garden
Kaneko’s artworks were installed throughout Portland Japanese Garden, towering above or nestled discreetly amid the moss and leaves, connecting viewers and their surroundings through a transformative experience
Garden of Resonance: The Art of Jun Kaneko, in the Strolling Pond Garden (2023-01-10) by Artist: Jun Kaneko and Portland Japanese GardenPortland Japanese Garden
Creating a backdrop of constantly changing color and texture against Portland Japanese Garden's stunning foliage, Kaneko's works brought out the best of what makes the Garden truly special.
To see more of Garden of Resonance: The Art of Jun Kaneko, please visit our website here.
Subtle Intimacy: Here and There (2023-03-21) by Artist: Rui Sasaki and Hanmi Meyer, Bullseye Glass Co.Portland Japanese Garden
Subtle Intimacy: Here and There
After two seasonal residencies in Portland, Japan Institute’s inaugural Artist-in-Residence, Rui Sasaki, exhibited her site-specific works inspired by the natural beauty of Portland Japanese Garden in March—June 2023.
Subtle Intimacy: Here and There (2023-03-21) by Artist: Rui Sasaki and Photographer Credit: Hanmi Meyer, Bullseye Glass Co.Portland Japanese Garden
Both scientific and ethereal, Sasaki's body of work involved selecting plant specimens from Portland Japanese Garden and her home base of Kanazawa, Japan, then firing them in a kiln between sheets of glass to create delicate traces of those plants left behind in the material.
Subtle Intimacy: Here and There, Amayadori (2023-03-21) by Artist: Rui Sasaki and Photographer Credit: Hanmi Meyer, Bullseye Glass Co.Portland Japanese Garden
Her breathtaking outdoor installation Amayadori, Japanese for "taking shelter from rain," is made of 1,500 transparent glass rods that are nearly invisible, yet create a beautifully dynamic empty space when illuminated by sunlight. It was installed near Wisteria Arbor.
Subtle Intimacy: Here and There, The Corner (2023-03-21) by Artist: Rui Sasaki and Photographer Credit: Hanmi Meyer, Bullseye Glass Co.Portland Japanese Garden
Sasaki's work included both outdoor and indoor installations, infusing her work into the heart and landscape of Portland Japanese Garden and bringing traces of nature to the Pavilion and Tanabe Gallery.
To see more of Subtle Intimacy: Here and There, please visit our website here.
Takahiro Iwasaki: Nature of Perception, Reflection Model (2023-09-23) by Photographer Credit: Jonathan LeyPortland Japanese Garden
Takahiro Iwasaki: Nature of Perception
Takahiro Iwasaki: Nature of Perception features the work of Japan Institute's second Artist-in-Residence Takahiro Iwasaki from September—December 2023.
Takahiro Iwasaki: Nature of Percepetion, Golden Crane Reception by Photographer Credit: Jonathan LeyPortland Japanese Garden
Considered a rising star of the contemporary art world, Takahiro Iwasaki gained worldwide recognition when he represented Japan at the 2017 Venice Biennale, a renowned contemporary art and architectural exposition often described as the Olympics of the art world.
Takahiro Iwasaki: Nature of Perception, Tanabe Gallery (2023-09-28) by Photographer Credit: Jonathan LeyPortland Japanese Garden
During his Japan Institute residency Iwasaki created a counterpoint to his historically inspired work by transforming everyday materials into extraordinary miniature landscapes that reflect our contemporary city.
Iwasaki plays with our sense of the familiar, using everyday materials such as duct tape, wooden dowels, and toothbrushes, transforming them into extraordinary model landscapes that literally turn our expectations upside down.
For more information, please visit our website here.
Since 2007, Portland Japanese Garden has successfully introduced the work of more than 75 artists representing Japan and its unique artistic traditions.
Online exhibition tours, as well current and past exhibitions, are available on our website: japanesegarden.org/art-exhibitions/
