Elegance and Emotion: The Unique Dolls of Kimiko Muraoka Koyanagi (Photo – shumeiarts.org)
Elegance and Emotion: The Unique Dolls of Kimiko Muraoka Koyanagi curated and organized by Meher McArthur.
Japanese dolls are appreciated worldwide for their beauty and artistry. The most elaborate are made with porcelain faces and hands and decked out in layers of gorgeous silk kimonos. These have been collected and displayed at Hina Matsuri (Dolls’ Festival) on the 3rd day of the 3rd month for many centuries. The simplest are the cylindrical kokeshi dolls, carved on a lathe out of wood and often painted with vibrant designs in bright colors. Kimiko Muraoka Koyanagi’s dolls are very different from both of these traditions, but they are just as exquisite to behold, take many days to complete, and employ a traditional technique that will soon be lost to the world.
Koyanagi’s dolls are built up out of a paste and then smoothed down and coated with gofun, a white pigment made of ground-up seashells. She then paints them very simply, occasionally adding floral details or gradations in color on their kimono. Though their tall, slender forms convey an elegance and a stillness, their faces and sometimes even the gentle tilt of their heads suggests strong emotions beneath the surface.
The opening reception for the exhibition will be held on January 13 from 2:00 pm – 4:00 pm. Following the reception, the exhibition will be open until May 5, 2024. The exhibition will be open from Monday – Saturday from 9:30 am – 5:30 pm, and closed on Sundays.
For more information, call 626-583-8841.
