Manami Ishimura: Ripple
January 19 – February 17, 2023
Closing Reception, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 5 pm
Artist Talk, Wednesday, February 15, 2023, 6 pm
Artist Workshop, February 16m 2023, 11am - 3 pm
Artist Manami Ishimura (b. Tokyo, Japan) uses artificial inanimate materials in her work, transitioning them between liquid and solid states, to explore “in between” or liminal states of being and the dynamism of creation. To express this dynamism, her process uses repetitive movements as a method to create a representation of a meditative-like state.
Ishimura’s experience living in other countries has made her acutely aware of these
liminal states: between herself and others; English and Japanese languages; and consciousness
and body. During her time living in a temple in Lamphum, Thailand practicing meditation,
she experienced her consciousness separate from her physical body, remaining connected
only through her breathing.
Ishimura uses PETG plastic that melts at 170 degrees F and gradually returns to a solid state in 10 seconds. Like the transition from a seed to a sprout, this 10 second interval embodies the dynamic boundary between emptiness and substance; between inanimate elements and living organisms. For example, a seed is not regarded as life, yet it contains potential life. Once it sprouts, at some point the seed transitions into a living organism. As the process of living becomes visualized, we consider that it starts to be a life, yet this boundary is unclear. The division between categories of non-life and life appears through the dynamic energy transfer, like the sprouting of a plant. Ishimura’s work represents an effort to respect and appreciate the dynamism that is the essence of existence.
Manami Ishimura was born in Tokyo, Japan, received her BFA degree in sculpture at Tama Art University in Japan in 2012 and earned her MFA degree in sculpture and ceramics at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi in 2018. Her handwork strives to depict the ephemeral beauty of moments that generally go unseen. Her art practice is a wide range from temporary installation to public art. Ishimura’s continued exploration of ways to celebrate universality of art across cultures led her to exhibit both nationally and internationally including at Biwako Binnale, Shiga, Japan, Gallery C at Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, Tokyo, Japan; Masur Museum of Art in Monroe, Louisiana. She contributed a permanent public art piece as a Windgate Artist in Residence at Arkansas Tech University.
For more information on this exhibition and related programming, or to subscribe to our email list please visit Gardiner Gallery of Art website or contact us by email.
Hours: Monday – Friday, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm & Saturday by appointment. Closed on Sundays, university holidays, and home game days.
This exhibition is sponsored by OSU student fees, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Oklahoma Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts. All events are free and open to the public.
Read news about the exhibition.
Manami Ishimura - Ripple
