Jonathan Yukio Clark (born 1987), Sakura in Volcanic Landscape, 2022, monotype print on washi, koa, sugi, tinted hydrocal, 21 x 62 x 5.5 in. (53.3 x 157.5 x 14 cm.) © Jonathan Yukio Clark, Courtesy:
MIYAKO YOSHINAGA, New York

“In the Space of the Near and Distant”-Solo Exhibition by Jonathan Yukio Clark, MIYAKO YOSHINAGA
March 17-April 30, 2022
Opening reception: March 17, 5-8pm

This solo exhibition by a Hawaiʻi-based Japanese-American artist will consist of monotype prints and sculptures informed by the traditional Japanese living space, where the transience of nature and human life are closely connected through, for example, a garden which “borrows” the scenery of the outside landscape. For Jonathan Yukio Clark, the concept of borrowed scenery or shakkei means not only the visual borrowing of expansive vistas framed through such gardens or architectural features, but also the spiritual incorporation of impermanence into the stability of built or inhabited spaces. With this philosophy in mind, Clark traces and captures the imprints of his heritage, such as his family history across Hawaiʻi and Japan, panoramic views of volcanic mountainscapes from both regions, and the 1950s Oʻahu home of his Japanese grandparents. Through his personal lens, Clark skillfully embeds these elements into his recent work, while using various natural materials that speak to a close affinity for each environment.

Jonathan Yukio Clark (born 1987), In the Realm of Mount Mihara, 2022, 6 monotype prints, washi,
40 x 168 in. (101.6 x 426.7 cm), Jonathan Yukio Clark, Courtesy: MIYAKO YOSHINAGA, New York

The exhibition highlights a monumental wall piece In the Realm of Mount Mihara, the artist’s tribute to the rugged beauty of the volcano in the Island of Izu Oshima off the coast of Honshu, Japan. To epitomize the greater natural world, Clark uses his masterful monotype technique for six separate prints, each carrying on a panoramic vista of distinctive terrains and vegetations with vigorous rhythm and earthy colors. A smaller landscape, also from Izu Oshima, is embedded into a wooden frame and entitled Sakura in Volcanic Landscape. These disparate landscapes are recurring points of familiarity, cross-generational recollection, and natural transformation.