HELEN OJI
PAINTER, PHOTOGRAPHER, SCULPTOR
Over the many years as an artist, I have explored various mediums, techniques, and themes in my artwork. My work is a fusion of my Japanese heritage, imagery from daily and imagined experiences, abstraction, color, calligraphy, music and dance, poetry, and the unconscious.
As an artist, my time during the pandemic lockdown was a time to simplify my life. Without social distraction, I focused on working on a variety of paintings on paper and canvas. It also allowed me to explore a few ideas that I always wanted to try but had always put off. I created some books and photomontages base on my travels to Vietnam and Cambodia. I also explored making soft sculptures made from felt wool and knitted merino wool.
Evolution of the Infinity Bunny ©2020 various sizes, Merino wool, embroidery
Asian brush-painted scrolls, popular Japanese tenugui towels, Japanese folk toys, and my everyday life have inspired my exploration and development for this series. The imagery does not have specific details of each subject depicted; instead, the painted gestures form familiar shapes and evoke a spirit that connects us to our emotions.
You, You, and You ©2020, 24" x 20" Acrylic on canvas
Squirrel Family Portrait ©2018, 15x20 ins, Digital photomontage giclée print on archival paper
Through paintings on canvas, works on paper, photomontages, and sculpture my recent series of work entitled Animal Friends and Witty Abstractions, celebrates life, humor, and the human spirit. Gestural brushstrokes form the shapes and pictorial relationships, with layers of color animating the surface of the paintings. All of these components are important in creating the essence of my work.
Boardwalk ©2020, 11" x 14", Acrylic on paper
