West Encounters East Highlights Japanese-Brazilian Artists At Brazil Art Fair
Special appearance by sculptor Yutaka Toyota
Miami, FL, November 6, 2013Stella M. Holmes announced that West Encounters East will present works by four prominent Japanese-Brazilian artists at the premiere edition of Brazil ArtFair, to be held at Northwest 36th Street and Midtown Boulevard, Miami, during Miami Art Week, December 3-8. Miami Art Week is timed to coincide with Art Basel Miami Beach, when the crème de la crème of the art world gathers in Miami.
A division of The Brickellian art consultancy, West Encounters East, founded by Ms. Holmes in 2010, explores the fusion of Eastern and Western cultural traditions in the works of artists of Asian heritage who live and work in Latin America, with the objective of increasing intercultural respect in a globalized age by advancing arts education and appreciation.
Featured in the Brazil ArtFair exhibition are Yutaka Toyota, Takashi Fukushima, Kazuo Okubo and Megumi Yuasa, well-known Japanese-Brazilian artists whose works, Ms. Holmes says, “explore an artistic space where the vibrant palette of Latin America and the silence of the East that contains the universe come together to create something new.”
Sculptor Yutaka Toyota, who was born in Japan, came to Brazil as a young man and is credited with revolutionizing the concept of sculpture there. Influenced by the spatial theory of Argentine artist Lucio Fontana, he creates artworks that seek new dimensions and possibilities. He has been honored with some of Brazil’s most prestigious awards. Mr. Toyota will be on hand to greet visitors at the West Encounters East booth during Brazil ArtFair.
Brazilian-born abstract painter Takashi Fukushima, son of Japanese painter Tikashi Fukushima, synthesizes cross-cultural influences to create cosmic landscapes. He describes himself as “a Brazilian artist, the son of Japanese immigrants,” and says, “I think art is a difficult concept to describe. It’s like a religion, based on faith.”
The works of photographer Kazuo Okubo celebrate the human body in carefully constructed landscapes of light and shadows. Inspired by the cultural mix of West and East, Okubo’s style is experimental, his photographs dynamic and suggestive.
Megumi Yuasa, an autodidact, is considered a master in the Japanese Brazilian art of ceramics. The simple lines of his ceramic sculptures express philosophical thoughts in a non-verbal language.
The exhibition was curated by Stella M. Holmes and Carolina Lucero.
Toyota, Fukushima, Okubo and Yuasa are featured in West Encounters East, a documentary film by Stella M. Holmes honoring the unique world of Japanese Brazilian artists. The film will encore at 5 p.m. November 24th on WPBT/Channel 2, which debuted the film last May. Since then, West Encounters East has aired on 280 television channels nationwide, and recently screened as an official selection of four film festivals.
About Stella M. Holmes
A documentary filmmaker, curator and art historian, Stella M. Holmes is passionate about the power of art to bridge differences – between cultures, between people, within the human heart. She is founder and president of The Brickellian, which supports a number of arts-related businesses, including a fine-arts consultancy, a film production company, the curating and promotion of exhibitions, educational lectures, and other projects. In Miami, where she has lived for more than two decades, her creativity and passion continue to enrich the community’s cultural institutions.
About Brazil Art Fair
The first Miami art fair dedicated specifically to Brazilian contemporary art and design, Brazil ArtFair was founded by Brazilian entrepreneur Michel Serebrinsky. It will showcase 40 Brazilian galleries and design studios.
For Immediate Release | Media Contact: Carolina Lucero | West Encounters East. | info@westencounterseast.com