Opening Reception for "(Be)Longing"

Moving to a new country can be a daunting experience, especially as an adult. You leave behind familiar language, culture, and customs, and face the challenge of adapting to a new way of life. Yet, alongside the pressure to assimilate is the desire to preserve your identity and traditions. How do you find balance and create your own path. For the artists featured in (Be) Longing, they attempt to reconcile their two identities through art.

This exhibition features four Japanese-born artists who have immigrated to the United States and now call Arizona home. Through diverse materials from resin to clay to paint, they explore the complexities of cultural identity, nostalgia, and belonging. Their works are contemporary, yet deeply rooted in Japanese aesthetics, drawing inspiration from folklore, religious rituals, Zen philosophy, and historical art forms like Fusuma-e and Mingei craft.

Each piece offers a personal narrative: a reflection on the tension between longing for home and finding one's place in a new land. Together, they present a multifaceted view of the Japanese immigrant experience—one that is as much about resilience and transformation as it is about memory and tradition.

Featuring artwork by: Kazuma Sambe, Kaori Takamura, Hirotsune Tashima, and Yuko Yabuki