Reflections Of An Expatriate Artist

Just a couple weeks ago, I sat in our apartment in Tokyo watching the moving company pack up the remnants of life in Japan.  We are onto our next expatriate assignment to Singapore via the USA.   My family has spent 7 to 8 years here.  It’s been a wonderful adventure and I look forward to our next one.

This was my first time as an expatriate.  My children and I followed my husband’s career to Japan.  With a combination of anxiety, excitement and not knowing where the adventure would lead us – we made the move.  I left my career at a Fortune 500 company in Healthcare Strategic Analytics & Marketing and “made a plunge”.

Coming to Japan presented me with the unique opportunity to explore my passions.  I had always wanted to devote more time to the arts.  With my husband’s job secure in his assimilation to Japan and its culture; I decided to leave my 20-year career and take art classes – however I could.  I thought it’s the perfect time to explore my hobbies, photography and drawing.  I was accepted into the Art Program at Temple University’s Tokyo campus – but decided to forego the structured program for one that would allow me greater flexibility as a mom and trailing spouse. I buried myself in Temple’s Continuing Education and other studio classes involving photography, drawing and painting – up to 5 days per week…  and instead of intensely pursuing photography – I fell in love with Painting.  Still, I enjoy taking photos of people and landscapes; and combine it with my love for painting.

I have been blessed with great teachers and mentors.  The detailed instruction regarding technique along with the encouragement and enthusiasm as I learned the “Art” has offered me my pathway.  I hesitate to use the word success because I am only as good as my next painting; I have much to improve upon and look forward to consistent development and training as I learn to work with new materials and improve technique.

Learning Portraiture teaches us to look for proportion, shading and values in a painting. We had to download a stock photo from the internet to do this

Mohan, The Tiger. I met this guy at the Singapore Zoo. I love White Tigers and was drawn to paint him. Oil on Canvas, 80 x 80cm

The Boy, Oil on Canvas A painting of my youngest child looking out over the Ocean at Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

I enjoyed making birthday cards for my best girlfriends using what I learned in Sumi-E Class (Nihonga Japanese Brush Painting)

In our Nihonga Painting class, one method to learn is copying the paintings of the Masters

During my travels, I would take photos of landscapes. These photos would sometimes serve as inspiration for paintings

The Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Japan Japanese Watercolor on Paper 9 x 12 inches

The Golden Pavilion, Kyoto Japan Oil & 23kt Gold on Canvas 60 x 40cm Commissioned Piece

And here we are – 7 years later – on our way to another expatriate assignment.  I will miss Japan and the friends we’ve made here.  I am grateful as this is the place where my art career was born.  It’s been a journey – I’ve been fortunate to have wonderful teachers and mentors – and the support of family and friends.

I’ve been fortunate to count small successes from my time in Japan.  Signing on with the Kitano Alley Gallery in Kobe, participating in group and solo shows and having artworks accepted as part of prominent Japanese Art Associations that sponsor exhibits of new talent in National Museums in Tokyo.  It is these acceptances that I am most proud of; and most humbled with.  Living in a community where English is not a first language has made it difficult to really involve myself in the “art world” of Tokyo.  (I found Japanese a difficult language to learn, and in the end – I prioritized my Art).  These associations are also juried by professionals who know nothing about me personally; are experts in Art and who see thousands of pieces of Artwork.  They don’t know my history, they don’t know I am an expat.  All they know is my name is foreign and here is my painting.  So, it feels really good to have pieces chosen – and I humbly hope I can continue to be selected as my Art evolves.

I will continue my development in Singapore – exploring new techniques, colors and horizons.  I am looking forward to it, and I hope you will continue to follow me as I embark on new artistic adventures.

I leave you with some of my successes here in Tokyo – thank you to my amazing senseis, Carolyn Dong (Drawing and Oil), Suiko & Shoko Ohta (Japanese Watercolor), Nancy Reyner (Acrylics), Temple University Tokyo Campus (Photography, Japanese Art and Art History) and Royi Akavia (Director of the Kitano Alley Gallery in Kobe, Japan).  The Artwork below is also a tribute to them and their teachings.

Water Lillies – Acrylic & 23kt Gold Leaf on Wood. Accepted for the 32nd Exhibition of Japanese Nature at the Ueno No Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. August, 2019

Accepted for the 39th Gen-Youten Exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art

Earth & Sky II – Acrylic on Panel – 100 x 60cm

My next blog, I will return to the Part II – Inspirations from India – with 3 spring shows and moving, this had to fall to the side, unfortunately.

Until then

Rajul