IHJ hosts the IHJ Artists Forums series to provide a venue for the U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Program Fellow to present their works and meet other artists. The I-House also produces occasional concerts and artistic events to promote mutual cultural understanding between Japan and the rest of the world.
[IHJ Artists’ Forum/ Artist Talk]
Telephone Game
- Friday, August 17, 2023 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
- Venue: Lecture Hall, International House of Japan
- Speaker: Lee Somers (Ceramic Artist; U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Program Fellow)
- Language: English (with consecutive interpretation)
- Co-sponsored by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission
- Admission: Free (reservations required)
In this Artist’s forum, Lee Somers, a fellow of the U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Fellowship Program, will examine Japanese ceramics as a centuries-long “telephone game,” resulting in an eclectic and diverse range of expressions from raw to refined.
In the schoolyard game, a child whispers a message into the ear of another, who passes it to the next, and so on. Interpreted by dozens of small ears and mouths, the message emerges with an entirely new meaning. Historically, Japanese ceramics cultivated new meanings from outside messages, rooting them in native soil and producing an astounding variety of unique results. More recently, the popularity of the Mingei movement brought Western potters and ceramic artists to Japan in the middle of the 20th century. Many went on to write books and teach at prominent institutions in the West, where students of ceramics can still hear a Japanese accent in the whispers on the telephone line.
Using the Six Ancient Kilns as a framework for travel and research, Lee Somers visited ceramic sites and museums throughout Japan. In this talk, Lee will share some of his thoughts and experiences on his journey to find meaning in the messages, reflecting on how it will shape his practice as an artist and educator.
Registration: PEATIX / web form
[IHJ Artists’ Forum/ Live Performance and Artist Talk]
In My Father’s Footsteps
- Tuesday, August 8, 2023 7:00 pm (Doors open at 6:30 pm)
- Venue: Iwasaki Koyata Memorial Hall, International House of Japan
- Speaker: Mark de Clive-Lowe (Composer/Musician; U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Program Fellow)
- Language: English and Japanese
- Co-sponsored by the Japan-U.S. Friendship Commission
- Admission: Free (reservations required)
In this Artists’ Forum, Mark de Clive-Lowe, a fellow musician of the U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Fellowship Program, will share some of his reflections and experiences in Japan and perform pieces set to visuals from his journey following his father’s footsteps.
My father, a New Zealander, came to Japan 70 years ago in 1953. He was 22 years old, and what was intended to be 3 months teaching English turned into 20 years living in Hiroshima, Kyoto, Tokyo, and Kamakura, coming of age in a country that was rebuilding itself at the same time. Before he died, my father wrote his memoirs and along with letters he wrote from Hiroshima and photographs, I have used these to retrace his journey, visiting places he wrote about, and getting to know the man he was many years before I was born. Along the way I’ve also learned and reflected on much about myself and will be taking inspiration from my own experiences throughout these four months, filtered through the lens of my father's experiences from 1953-1973, to create new music and further evolve my artistry. Mark De Clive-Lowe
Mark will play a set of solo piano and electronics with field recordings, performing music including compositions inspired by his experiences and reflections on Japan and his Japanese roots.
Registration: PEATIX / web form
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