Ruri & Satoko Motouji - DESTRUCTION • REJUVENATION • HARMONY
Kanetaka Ikeda - Rhythm of Nature
Philip Stork - Reflections
Meditating on cyclical aspects of creation and dissolution in the natural world, Destruction • Rejuvenation • Harmony, brings together clay and mixed media sculptures by Ruri and abstract sumi ink paintings by Satoko Motouji. Inspired by the wild forces of Nature and our parallel personal transformations, Ruri and Motouji seek out a harmony between both their work and the forces themselves. For Motouji, imbalances in nature caused by climate change are a catalyst for her art, which contrasts vast and pristine tracts of nature with the destructive results of wildfires. For Ruri transformations found in nature, including fire and decay, are a part of a rebirth that is simultaneously personal and universal.
In the new exhibition Rhythm of Nature, Kanetaka Ikeda explores pervasive currents of emotion, form, and color that underly the “Cosmic Tree.” Reflecting the kaleidoscopic and ever-changing patterns of the natural world, Ikeda visualizes this living energy through abstractions of ink and acrylic paint on water color paper.
Captured through the rippled glass of timeworn windowpanes in Old Town, Portland, these photographs show the reflections of surrounding buildings, streets, and signs—urban details rendered abstract by vintage glass. The images in Reflections by Philip Stork invite the viewer to see these reflections not as distortions, but as fantastical and imaginative views of the world around us. The result transforms ordinary street scenes into dreamlike compositions; a glimpse into a parallel version of the familiar. Now boarded up, the original windows, and the reflective views they once offered, have disappeared. These photographs preserve a fleeting alternate perspective, encouraging us to appreciate the ephemeral magic found in the overlooked corners of the urban landscape.