"This is Richard Nonas,"

When I first heard his voice on the phone, I thought he was like a 30's guy. I was ignorant not to know anything about him as an artist, so I did assume that he was a young American fellow. It was until he showed up in the gallery last winter that I’d kept my assumption valid. "I'm Richard Nonas," he introduced himself with the same tone of the voice on the phone, and I could not believe my eyes. Someone who sounds so young could be like someone who looks as if he lived thousands of years like mountain hermits? Well, with his gray hair and beard and a cowboy-like outfit, he appeared like a Sharman--has sharp and deep eyes to see through everything, can know so much about life and still keeps his spirit young. Since the gallery had a two-man show, Richard Nonas and Gary Kuehn last year, Nonas has been around and it has been just uplifting to get to know him. He always bikes around the city with his own made bicycle. His hobby is canoeing with his own made canoe. He is incredibly competent about all the computer soft programs. His steps are aerial, his sprit is full of energy, and I never heard him say, “ I’m tired,” while I am always tired…. Impressive. So, we had been talking about me going to visit his studio and finally, last Monday, I knocked the door of his studio in Tribecca where he has been living for something like 5 decades. Once I was in, I completely forgot that I was in the very fancy and kitsch neighborhood or even in NYC. It was like a chaotic version of Natural American History museum, or a native Indian house (of my imagination.) The studio was a just big open space without any walls to divide. His artworks, mostly steel and wood sculptures, his own made canoes and machinery were taken up the entire floor and walls. Everything appeared in gradation of brown color like his outfit. Each work has a strong presence, yet over all, the room looked united. There was no distinction between his furniture, ornaments, artworks, or, actually all including himself. Perfection in chaos….“Wow…” Yes, just “wow.”
He in fact used to be an anthropologist and live with Native Indians in Mexico, Canada and elsewhere. One day, he realized that there was limitation to articulate what he’d learnt from them or what he had been studying through a word. That very realization led him to be where he is now, that is, an artist. Yet, he is free from categorization of his own art and superficiality of the art world. Still, he has been showing his work in Museums and galleries throughout the world.
His steel or wood sculptures are minimal and organic. “I am trying to re-make a place like the mountain where I was, a memory…feeling, could be a place or a situation,” he said, sitting a wood chair. “ I want to make my art the least craftsmanship manner,” he emphasized. He likes incooporating any spaces, whether they are small, or big, inside or outside, with his work. Each show has been apparently challenging, yet super exciting for him. “Do you talk to the materials like a stone, or a piece of wood?” I asked. “ I rather read. Read its intention if it wants to stay or wants to be used in a form of art.” While we conversed, he served espresso in a Finish wooden cup whose form was like Aladdin's lamp. (I am telling you everything in his studio was almost wooden made.) I felt as if I turned into brown.
After talking about art, the conversation shifted to things about life or I shall say about me… “ I’ve never met any Japanese who is so emotional and passionate, he said. “I see myself the least emotional,” I replied. His remark was quite surprising, as I have been trying not to show my emotion or passion. Only a few people who is close to me knows that I am quite emotional (yes, I truly am). “Well, obviously, my attempt failed.” Yet I could not help feeling happy about it. “It is a good failure then! I was myself,” I felt. Then, I just started thinking, like “ is it really so? Or is it just because he is like a Sharman who can see me in real? you know, a-man-who-can-read-a-stone!” Whichever the case is, I was quite content.
I stayed for 2 hours or so, but it was certainly a big trip. “You can knock my door anytime,” he greeted. Just before I left the studio, at the door, I asked,” why do you use red for your drawings? It seems that you only use red.” “I don’t know much about the colors, so to me the color means RED. That’s it.” I could not stop laughing, as I expected him to say something philosophical that can be typical for a commertial artist. I loved his remark and it, to me, is actually the most unforgettable and inspiring remark that he made somehow. Finally on my departure, we hugged tightly. "Ok, I’ve got to be ready to wake up from a daydreaming…," I said to myself. The sun was still shining, and too bright to my eyes. In a jetrugged state of mind, my steps were, rather, aerial like his and my spirit was full of gratefulness and happiness.

the cherry blossom

I was invited by my friends to have a cherry blossom feast at their friends' house in Port Washington today. It was chilly and I felt dull due to the pollen allergy, yet one-hour train ride took us a refreshing and cozy atmosphere. The house was located in a small hill in a small forest like land and between the houses there was a small creek. The birds were singing and the cherry blossoms at their garden were in almost full bloom. Kids were running around the garden not being interested in the food or the flowers and grown-ups were nothing but eating and drinking for at least 4 hours straight. With one Japanese dish after another under the cherry trees, I did feel home.
In Japan, the cherry blossoms were already over. There, it is traditional to have a feast under the cherry trees, which we call "Hanami." It literally means, "viewing cherry blossom," yet in reality it is more about the food and drinks: getting crazy. We even have a cherry blossom forecast on TV like for the weather. We as crazy Japanese even stay over a few nights at a park to reserve the best spot for "Hanami." Indeed, it IS a big thing in Japan.
It was the cherry blossom season when I left Tokyo for NY 6 years ago. One day before my departure, I went to a park near by my house to say a good bye to the cherry blossoms. They were swinging the brunches, giving me the shower of the pink pedals and said, "see you next year." 6 years have quickly passed and I've never seen them again since that day. Every spring I see the cherry blossoms, I think about them. Well, I didn't imagine at all that my life would settle where I am now. I don't know where I will be and what I will do 6 years later from now. I feel fear and worries about the future like that day in 6 years ago under the cherry trees when I was excited, but felt absolute fear for unknown, with my stomach squeezed and my hands sweated. Yet, there wasnÅft really anything to be worried, as I am here now. Right, It tells me that life itself takes one to the most appropriate place or stage to be. Like a pollen is taken to somewhere by the wind and lands on the earth to grow. Life goes on and I keep moving and growing. My flower will bloom and new pollen will be taken to a different place. All I need to do is to just follow the wind. A peaceful day like today did assure me that.

What a nice thing about being a curator

is that I could easily get to know PEOPLE beyond age, sex, nationality and occupation. Today, I had lunch in China Town with a female painter whom I don't know her age, but I assume that she would be in her fifties. Her trademarks are a read frame glass and gray hair, which looks impeccable for her feature. We conversed about various topics such as art, art market, politics, cultural differences between Japan and the US and how art could manifest those differences and what else? Yeah food! After the chat and food, I opened a fortune cookie, which said " There is true and sincere friendship between you both." How nice? I saw her through a friend of mine, a German artist and saw each other for a few times with always the third party or more. Today, officially, it was the first time that we sat at the same table in a face-to-face position. This diverseness or causality of making friends would hardly happen in Japan. Let's say, if she were Japanese with the exact same status, I would have to use polite language all the time and answer certain questions like "are you married?" "How does your family do?" "Why do you live alone?" Or, she would give a long lecture about the history of her art. Due to politeness in our language, we separate from each other and never are able to really get over a wall. This, you –are-young-like-my-daughter attitude minimizes an opportunity to be really related to each other. So, being in NYC and being a curator enable me to connect people like, needles to say, artists and people like a CEO whom I would not know otherwise. Sure, when it comes to a collector, you might have to behave in a certain way, yet, still, we talks (not the lecture style) the same language, “art,” which allows us to stand on the same terrain. Encountering somebody is like the spring wind. Getting to know him/her is like a stream. Getting closer is like swimming in the vast ocean. I felt good today, despite the chilly weather for April and a bit of sickness.

I grabbed a cab,

"How are you doing today Miss?" he greeted with a thick Indian accent. " I am fine, thank you," with a thick Japanese accent, I replied. He is nice for a NY cab driver, I thought. After a few blocks passing by, "What do you do?" he broke the silence. " I am working in a gallery." " Oh great! You know my friend from Bangladesh had a show in 27th street….in the new tall building. You know?" "I know, he must be good then," hey, he knows what he talking about, I thought. "You know, he bought 2 houses in Long island, but you know, to be an artist is not stable financially. You make money, but next day you don't." "Right, but he has freedom instead," I went. "Are you an artist?" he asked. "No, never. No talent," I replied. " What’s your sign?" He changed the subject relatively radically. " What? My star sign?" "Yes, your star sign. " "Aquarius." "Brilliant!!! You are smart!" --Ok, now he is really talking-- I did think. "How do you know?" Isn't that a girl's stuff, is it, I didn’t say that. "I know, because I studied and I can do a palm reading. I did it for many celebrities like Mr. xxx, Mr. Yy, and…." None of the names were familiar to my ears. " So, then read mine!" I sticked my right hand to his seat through a hole in a plastic cover. He held the handle with his left hand and grabbed my right hand with his right hand. "You live long. You are very smart. You have fortune, a lot of money. OH, you ARE a good writer!!!!" "All right, you know? That’s what I want to be!" "You are!!" There was full of excitement in a bit stinky old yellow cab. I liked that.
Someone might say, " Are you goanna believe in what a cab driver said?" I say, " why not?" Yes, he asked me my number after all which I didn't give, so his "I-can-read-a-palm" could be just a mean of picking a girl up. However, still why not for me. First of all, it is good to hear something good about you from a guy, isn't it? Secondly, it wasn’t cliché kind remarks, like "you look cute, " or no words with just seductive gaze, which in fact turned me off. (I am not young enough to jump out of a chair just because some guys think I am hot. Mostly, I will want to say, "What do you know about ME? Do you know my age by the way?") What this cab driver said was not like the remark s that could feed women's vanity, yet his remarks did feed my vanity or make me jump out of a back seat of the car. Let's say he was trying to pick me up, yet how could he possibly know about what I want to be.... a writer? Coincident? Could it be said that just because he has a gift to see something that most of people can't see? He is not the only one who said "you are a good writer." to me over 6 years. My professors in my University in NY, afew psychics, tarot reader and so forth. Ho ho ho! anyhow, he made my day…no actually more than day, through just a few miles of drive. This event was like an angel pushed my back assuring my secret dream.