I made a series of letterpress greeting cards in collaboration with TOTA Press. I’ve had this idea of “three messages” for a couple years, and waited until the right phrases fall through into my mind. Finally, the three messages alined beautifully in my moleskin notebook, and I decided to make them into greeting cards to pass them on to others.
I believe in human’s natural “strength.” Sometimes, warm messages from someone could trigger the recipient to realize the raw diamond they have in them. The concept for these cards is to spread love and beautiful fragments of life through hand-written encouraging words and messages to the world. Please send your warm messages to your friends, family, and loved ones…
SF / LAをベースとして活動するMedia content provider, Society Theoryが私のRISE JAPAN Mural Project x Gallery Heist Wall のビデオを制作してくれました。私の選曲で、Five DeezのB.E.A.T.に乗せてもらいました。かなりいい感じに仕上がってます。
Society Theoryのメンバーとは飲み仲間で、音楽の趣味やデザインの趣味が合うのでサンフランでは一緒に色んなイベントに行ったり、こういったクリエイティブなプロジェクトを一緒にやったりと、いつもいいインスピレーションもらってます。いくつか私もビデオシューターとして参加しているビデオもあります。近々彼らも日本に連れて行きますよ！
Check out Society Theory _ http://www.societytheory.com/
Brooklyn Circus, Janelle Monae, Mayer Hawthrone, Vikter Duplaix, Fatbeats, The Strokes, Blvck Scvle, Chromeo and more…
Special thanks: Phil Nationales, Derrick Victa, Josh Shielie of Society Theory, Julianne Yates of Galler Heist!
Heist Wallには、新たなMural Project。
“Who You Are Defines What You Do.”
The wall is located on Leavenworth + Geary St. in TL district of San Francisco.
Video by Satoshi Terawaki
Limited “Life” T-shirts are available. We have size S / M / L.
If you’d like to purchase one, please email info@aoiyamaguchi.com.
Model: Shing02
Thank you all for coming to the opening – I was sick from two days before the opening, but warm energies from everyone cured my sickness really quick. It was amazing – thank you so much for your support, as always.
I have been really busy with organizing RISE JAPAN events this past several weeks, but finally gained a time to update here. I am one of the organizers of the series of Japan earthquake & tsunami relief fundraiser art exhibitions & performances called RISE JAPAN. We have done two art exhibitions at Gallery Heist, Kokoro Studio and ARC Studios & Gallery on April 2nd and 7th, and successfully raised $24,100!!!! We raised $15123 from Vol.1, and $9009 from Vol.2!! It has been really emotional days, don’t know how many times I had tears in my eyes – I am so grateful for amazing support from all the visitors, buyers, participant artists, vendors, local businesses and media. We made a final announcement yesterday, visited Give2Asia office today (I tried to express everything I could say in those announcements!). THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH. I am one of the starving artists among many others, but as an artist I strongly believe in the power of art. There are so much I can do, so much WE can do. We are not living alone, we all support each other. I am so glad that I was able to put something amazing like RISE JAPAN events together, and prove this belief by making it happen.
I know that Japan needs long-term financial and psychological support since reconstruction takes years and years. I’m making more research and figuring out the way to do it as I work on my own projects. We, RISE JAPAN, are going to have a booth at Cherry Blossom Festival this weekend, both Saturday and Sunday. Please follow my twitter @aoi_gm to find out where we will be located exactly. Also, please visit our website http://www.risejapan.us for more info. Feel free to let us know if you could be part of us and help us.
I made limited “RISE JAPAN” giclee prints off of the mural piece I did at Gallery Heist for RISE JAPAN Vol.1. (The photo is below – I wrote “RISE JAPAN” on the wall of both Gallery Heist and Kokoro Studio) Numbered and signed. Besides producing events, this is what I can offer to help my home country Japan!
From the night of RISE JAPAN Vol.1 at Gallery Heist & Kokoro Studio *Above is at Gallery Heist
My mural on the wall + Jane Kim, the supervisor of Tenderloin on the mic & Tiger Honey Pot!
Framed “RISE JAPAN” at RISE JAPAN Vol.2 @ARC Studios & Gallery
This framed piece was sold at silent auction for $400 at “buy now” price (highest bid was $600!) on the night of the event, and all donated to Give2Asia. Thank you so much!!
There are a few more left, purchase from here before it’s gone! :
I made limited edition prints of my works from KANGEN -Reunited with Nature- Series. The first series is Life. The original work is 4ft x 4ft, sumi ink on Japanese calligraphy paper mounted on wood panel. The black ink print on a natural white watercolor paper, which has really beautiful texture, looks amazing. Grab one before it’s gone…
[Video] Live calligraphy performance “KANGEN -Reunited with Nature-”
in collaboration with Mika Yanagihara
November 19, 2010 at Fivepoints Arthouse, San Francisco
Music: Zaion (http://www.zaionrecordings.com/)
Textile Sculpture: Hiroko Tsuchimoto
Video edited by Phil Nationales
R/GA is one of the world’s most awarded full-service digital agencies. R/GA San Francisco office is hosting a creative lecture series called, “Creative Connect” starting Friday, March 25 at 4:30 p.m.
Creative Connect is open to the public and intended to provide a space for San Francisco’s creative professionals to speak, perform, or display groundbreaking work and ideas. The series will showcase architects, multi-media artists, curators, chefs, dancers, and even street artists to showcase their talents with the community at large. R/GA’s hope is to reach out and inspire San Francisco’s burgeoning creative community to come together across multiple disciplines to share their work and insights. I was invited as the one to kick off Creative Connect with a reflective presentation and a live large-scale calligraphy performance.
In this unique setting, the audience experiences calligraphy in its entirety and become immersed in the creative process that is usually hidden from public view.
Calligraphy Performance:
甦生 SOSEI (Regeneration)
“甦生 (regeneration)” – This piece is dedicated to Japan…
It has been really emotional days since the Japan earthquake and tsunami happen: I have been pouring all of my attention and energy into the series of fundraiser art exhibition RISE JAPAN. The night before the presentation & performance at R/GA, I began refining my plan for the live calligraphy performance and struggled with wiping chaotic fog off of my mind. Couldn’t decide what to write, and which music to play. I asked myself, what is the message I want to tell through this performance? What do I want to say, what do I want audiences to take home with? – then I heard, “it’s the nostalgia and love for my home country.”
This artist talk was planned from several months ago, and I had a different plan for the theme and music for this performance. Something has changed inside of me – I wasn’t feeling right about my initial plan. My heart wants to relax with these two songs when I’m working at home in the late night. Surrounded by the warm and emotional sound, I was touched and cried, then I thought that these were the sound my soul desired. Then I immediately knew what to do.
On the three large sheets of paper, I wrote lyrics of “Soshu Yakyoku” (written in Showa 15 = 1940), and wrote “SOSEI” (regeneration) with a big brush.
This performance and calligraphy piece is dedicated to people who are suffering from this tragic natural disaster and nations living and supporting the country to heal and rebuild. Praying for regeneration of the country, believing in our strength to do so. Thank you everyone so much for coming to see my presentation and performance. It was such a pleasure to share this amazing space and opportunity with you all.
_
Performance 甦生 SOSEI
Music score:
1. Last Emperor / Ryuichi Sakamoto
2. 蘇州夜曲 / Ann Sally
Mixed by Kento Tanaka
Photos by Akko Terasawa / Akira Okawa
Flyer & Poster credit:
Flyer designed by Francisco Tavares (R/GA)
Photo credit:
Calligraphy x Beauty Project w/ Taichi Imai
Model: Crystal
Photography: Taichi Imai (http://taichiimai.com/)
Calligraphy facial painting: Aoi Yamaguchi
Make up: Tomoya Motegi
Hair: Kanako Ito
Special thanks to:
Min Hu, Shagane Barsegian Launey, Brett Rampata, Francisco Tavares, Mauro Cavalletti, all R/GA staff, Akira Okawa, Akko Terasawa, and everyone who attended Creative Connect.
As one of the 32 Campbell’s Soup Can artists, I reworked on Onion Soup taking the approach to combine traditional Japanese aesthetic and style into the Warhol’s refined imagery, using diluted sumi ink and Japanese gasen paper for calligraphy.
作品作りはサンフランシスコに居る間に始めたけれど、２月半ばにはDCとNYに出発した為に仕上げはNYに居る間にすることに。全て素材をスーツケースに詰め込んで、Brooklynに滞在中に仕上げ、サンフランシスコまで郵送。無事にProject One Galleryまでたどり着いたようで、一安心。
We all had a month to work on the piece. Due to the trip to DC and NY, I finished my piece while I was staying in Brooklyn, and shipped it to San Francisco. I was relieved to hear that my piece made it to Project One Gallery. Phew.
And of course, at NYMOMA, the actual Warhol’s Campbell’s soup cans!
(My iPhone did its best to get this grainy picture… Please forgive.)
NYMOMA had a featured exhibition of Warhol’s motion picture series on the top floor. It was very inspiring… I loved how they designed to have large projections on all the walls in the gallery space, so that you are 360° surrounded by black & white motion picture portraits of well-known faces. Especially, I loved the motion picture piece titled “kiss” in the secluded room all the way back in the gallery space: the walls on both sides crops the horizontal projection image into a tall skinny rectangle image, so you can only peek the lovers kissing if you stand far from the entrance of this room. I had more than enough Andy Warhol in my February 2011, although I didn’t intend to.
Life is full of surprises and lots of unexpected coincidences. When you think of someone or something strongly, you’re somehow destined to come across with them. This New York trip convinced me to believe this our life’s ironic yet enjoyable philosophy.
今夜はVIP Opening, 明日は一般公開レセプションです。
Come join us to tonight to witness San Francisco’s renowned and emerging artists’ unique interpretations paying homage to our timeless hero, Andy Warhol. It will be one of the historic events!
Warhol Reimagined: The New Factory
March 10th, 2011 – April 19th, 2011 Opening night (All welcome, no cover): March 10th, 2011 – 7pm-2am
Project One Gallery | 251 Rhode Island, San Francisco, CA 94103
Daytime Gallery and Cafe Hours: Mon. – Friday – from 8am – 5pm
Gallery Happy Hour every Thursday & Friday 5pm – 8pm
Gallery Evening Hours every Wed. – Sat. until 2am
Phone: (415) 938-7173 | Website: http://p1sf.com
In this hands-on workshop, a Japanese calligrapher Aoi Yamaguchi will demonstrate how to enjoy writing Japanese characters with a brush and sumi-ink. The class is designed for the beginner’s level, but experienced artists are also welcome to join!
Please bring your own paperweight (small stones, empty perfume bottles are perfect) and small pillow to sit on. Other materials will be provided. You can buy a brush at the workshop if you would like to own one! Please register from the link at the bottom of this post.
Time
Sunday, March 13, 2011
9:45AM Registration
10AM – 12PM Workshop
12PM – Tea Time (Let’s enjoy organic herbal tea and sweet treats!)
Location
Ensoma
352 6th Street, San Francisco (6th + btwn Folsom & Harrison)
Advance registration is required for this workshop, and the seating is limited. The deadline to RSVP for the class is March 12, 2011. Refunds will not be made after this date.
Senior communication designer, Noriko, kindly invited me to Smart Design for the February’s guest speaker presentation. She came to my “KANGEN -Reunited with Nature-” show last November, and thought of sharing my unique calligraphy performance with her coworkers and other designers within the company. Thank u!
Through the presentation, I explained what I’m trying to convey through my works, how to de-construct and re-construct the form of letters such as Kanji and Hiragana, how to determine the composition and the balance of letters, and also the meanings of the poems in my works.
書道用筆に触れてみる。毛の種類の違いは、実際に触れてみると明らかです。
Touch and feel the brushes. You can see the difference of the brush hair when you actually touch them.
バルセロナオフィスがモニターで繋がっています。Hello!
The monitor is connected to the Barcelona office. Hello!
終始和やかな雰囲気で、（実は）病み上がりながらも、楽しくプレゼンテーションが出来ました。Q&Aでは、沢山の質問が飛び交いました。コンテンポラリーな作品を作る上で、トラディショナル（伝統的な基本スキル）は必要なのか、書道とグラフィティの違いは何か、パフォーマンス書道ではArt of making（制作過程を見せるというアート）に重点を置いているのか、そしてそれについてどう思うのか、精神を制作モードに入れるときになにをするのか、などなど。こういったディスカッションを通して、オリエンタル文化や日本語という言語に馴染みのないオーディエンスから見た書道というものを知るということは、私にとって大切な事です。文字を材料として扱う芸術だからこそ、展示やパフォーマンスは見る者の目線に立って、デザインしていかないといけないからであり、同時にそういった生の声や疑問を聞く事で、指導者としても着眼すべき点が明確になります。私自身にとっても収穫のあるセッションでした。Smart Designの皆さんどうもありがとうございました。
In a comfortable atmosphere, I had fun having a presentation of slides and videos, although I was just recovering from sickness. Especially the last 20 minutes of Q&A was very interesting – there were really good insights and questions, such as “is the traditional aspect of calligraphy skill still significant when you are making contemporary work?”, “what is the difference between Japanese calligraphy and graffiti?”, “for the calligraphy performance, is it more about the art of making than the actual finalized work?”, “what do you specifically do to set your mind in the production mode?” etc etc. It is important for me to know the perception and understanding of Japanese calligraphy from non-Japanese speakers’ point of view. Especially for those who are not familiar with oriental traditional culture and who don’t understand Japanese language, the level of understanding the meaning must vary. Since Japanese calligraphy is the art form that uses letters as its material, as a presenter, I have to design the exhibitions and performances accessible and understandable for everyone considering the language barrier. And as an educator, it is crucial to listen to the audience’s voice and know what needs to be explained. – It was very meaningful experience. Thank you very much Smart Design!
Next month, I will be having a guest speaker presentation at a different design firm. Details are TBA. Stay tuned 🙂
My friend Kev, one of the organizer of Oakland’s favorite, “TOGETHER” party, invited me to perform live calligraphy at this party next Saturday February 12th. Dedan of Brothers & Sisters, Cali, Jayvi, and Soul.Profess will be spinning and mixing genres from hiphop, house, afrobeat, to dancehall seamlessly, and make you dance & dance until you sweat! I will be on the stage painting on people!!
Invite your friends, and I will see you all there 😉
TOGETHER -LOVE&LUST-
::SPECIAL GUESTS::
Dedan
(Brothers and Sisters)
Live Calligraphy Performance by Aoi Yamaguchi
+ your resident artists of seduction Cali
(thePeople)
