Photo Credit: Joel Callaway Photography

Reconnecting with Nature Through Art and Architecture

December 7, 2024

The Japan Society of Greater Fairfield County and the Yale Council on East Asian Studies sponsored a discussion on how art and architecture can bring human beings closer to nature.

Miya Ando

Artist Miya Ando and architect Yoko Kawai shared their insights on how their work bridges the gap between the human and natural worlds. Ando's artworks are a physical articulation of her understanding of nature and time, as seen in her recent work Flower Atlas, 72 chiffon banners suspended in the Winter Garden in New York.

Yoko Kawai

Kawai’s recent research focuses on the first-person perspective toward and sensual experience of the environment, both natural and man-made, apparent in the Space-Traveler’s notation system that she developed and applied in her design practice.

Mimi Yiengpruksawan

Their conversation, moderated by Dr. Mimi Yiengpruksawan, revealed different approaches to enhancing human-nature relationships by those who share their interest in spatial expression as well as their personal roots in Japan.

An extensive question and answer period followed.

The Yale Council on East Asian Studies generously hosted a reception after the panel discussion. Judith Setsuko Hata, who was awarded the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold and Silver Rays by the Government of Japan in 2017 for her teaching of Ikebana, contributed an ikebana for the reception. Carol Baldwin was her assistant. Judith Hata, now in her 99th year, was president of Ikebana International New York Chapter for multiple terms.

Judith Hata

Judith Hata assisted by Carol Baldwin

Speakers

Miya Ando, an accomplished contemporary artist and descendant of a Japanese swordsmith family. With her expertise in metalwork, Ando creates mesmerizing artworks that reflect the ephemeral beauty of the changing seasons. Her creations not only pay homage to her Japanese heritage but also bridge the gap between traditional craftsmanship and modern artistic expression.

Dr. Yoko Kawai, an architect known for her designs infused with Japanese philosophical principles. As Lecturer at Yale's School of Architecture, her expertise lies in exploring how Japanese architecture, both old and new, have ingeniously incorporated nature and human-beings as a part of it. Yoko is principal of Penguin Environmental Design, CT, and is a co-founder of Mirai Work Space.

Moderator

Dr. Mimi Yiengpruksawan, an esteemed art historian and professor at Yale University, specializing in Japanese art and visual culture. Her research sheds light on how Japanese artists throughout the ages have masterfully captured the passage of time and the subtleties of seasons in their artwork. Her contributions to the discussion will offer invaluable insights into the aesthetic sensibilities that resonate globally.