Saturday, August 15th 4-6pm
Talk starts at 4:30pm

Join us for an artist talk in conjunction with Asaki Oda’s solo show PAPERCOSM. Treats and libations will be served. Free and open to the public.

Asaki works primarily with gathered, reused, and recycled materials, including cardboard from shoe boxes and crumpled kraft paper from shipping packages. She finds joy in exploring the possibilities of transforming those materials into sculptural illustrations of life in natural habitats. Originally influenced by the woodblock prints of Imao Keinen, Asaki is drawn to simple compositions that capture the stillness and intimacy of nature. Like Keinen’s depictions of birds resting among blossoms, her work embraces restraint in both form and color, allowing texture and materiality to take prominence.

The kraft paper used to protect online orders becomes crinkled and worn in transit, developing surfaces reminiscent of wood grain.   Like wood, with the touch of a hand you can bring out its character. Cardboard packaging similarly has its own unique character, with graphics, dents, and folds that carry their own stories. Rather than conceal these traces, Asaki highlights them by manipulating the material with basic methods like folding and tearing which reveal the inherent beauty and character embedded within discarded materials. By keeping the monochromatic elements, she seeks texture and depth in layering the pieces. The unexpectedly natural beauty of the kraft paper expresses itself in the process. With these ordinary materials and simple techniques, Asaki hopes to grasp the joyous moments of nature’s quiet life.