Art Exhibit at the Gardens

 

Sound of Water Art Exhibit

When we (my daughter and I) planned our trip to the Descanso Botanical Gardens on Wednesday, one of the things I wanted to see was the current art exhibition at the Sturt Haaga Gallery which is located on the grounds.  What was originally a six car garage housing the original owner's collection of cars has been turned into an art gallery.  The current art exhibition is called "Sound of Water: Feminine Expressions of Fluidity" and features paintings, prints, and sculptures by six Japanese women artists: Mineko Grimmer, Yumiko Glover, Miya Ando, Emiko Aida, Yuko Kimura, and Ayomi Yoshida.

As one enters the lobby, there is this hanging sculpture depicting rain:

"Raindrops" by Emiko Aida, mixed media

Below it, a haiku poem about the sound of water: 

Haiku

In one room, set apart from the rest of the gallery, was an art work which included sound:

"Musical Vessels" by Mineko Grimmer

A collection of different sized terracotta jars made in Mexico; ice is placed in the mouth of the jars in the morning, we were told by the curator, and as the ice melts, the droplets of water fall into the vessels making a sound.  In addition, speakers in the room play the sounds of a type of bamboo water fountain called a shishi-odoshi followed by the sound of rain that is produced by a Japanese instrument used in their traditional plays and dramas.  There was a very meditative atmosphere in that room.

Then, we went to the main gallery rooms and here are some of the pictures I took of the artwork there:

"Mizukagami"
 (The Shadow of the Moon Reflected in Water)
by Miya Ando; stainless steel

"Tsukinami" (Moonlit Waves) by Miya Ando
Natural Indigo Dye, Micronized Pure Silver, Kozo Paper

"Echoes in Water" by Yumiko Glover
Acrylic on Canvas

Close Up/Detail of "Echoes in Water" by Yumiko Glover

"Resonance" by Yumiko Glover
Acrylic on Canvas

According to the information provided at the exhibit, the artist incorporated koi carp and architectural motifs in her paintings:

Close Up/Detail of "Resonance" by Yumiko Glover

 

I couldn't take the next photo without the reflection of the room on the glass; my apologies to the artist.

"Little Waves: Echoes of the Dep" by Yuko Kimura
Etching, Monotype on handmade kozo paper and
kozo bark fiber, thread

The installation below, which depicts falling rain, was one where visitors could enter.  Standing there, one could imagine being surrounded by sheets of rain.

"Blessed Rain" by Ayomi Yoshida
Washi Paper, Indigo Dyes, Woodblock Printed

There were many other artworks, but, I didn't take photos of each and every one of them.  I truly enjoyed seeing the artworks and experiencing them, as well, by listening to the sound of water in the room with the vessels and standing in the middle of the sheets of washi paper depicting rain.  I am thankful for being able to see this lovely art exhibit representing the Sound of Water.  There is more information about the artists and the exhibition on line at the Descanso Gardens website (https://www.descansogardens.org/visit/sturt-haaga-gallery/2026-exhibitions/#water)