From Kyoto to the Stars is a special exhibition of Sarah Brayer’s poured washi paperworks and rare early prints and paintings. As the days become shorter and the moon rises earlier in the sky, we chose to feature Sarah’s new aquatint on indigo dyed handmade mulberry paper, with phosphorescent pigments, Midnight Moon.
About The Artist
Sarah Brayer was born in Rochester, New York. In 1979, she came to Japan with a backpack, a thousand dollars in travelers checks and a deep desire to make art. She has lived in Kyoto, Japan ever since.
Sarah is best known for her pioneering work with “washi” (Japanese paper) resulting in a medium she calls poured paperworks. Brayer’s art is in the collections of The British Museum, The Smithsonian, and The American Embassy to name a few.
In 2007, she was selected as the cover artist for the prestigious 52nd CWAJ Contemporary Print Show in Tokyo, Japan. No western woman had ever been selected. In 2013 she was awarded the Commissioner’s Award by the Japanese government for her innovations in washi, and taking them to an international audience.
Sarah spoke about her Luminosity series in which the artworks are infused with phosphorescence and emit a subtle glow when see in the dark, at TED in 2010. Midnight Moon is the latest addition to the series. Her Luminosity museum shows at the Castellani museum and Johnson Museum at Cornell excited viewers when they entered the darkened gallery to view the work infused with light.
Sarah states, “Washi as an art form has been practiced in Japan for over 1200 years. As a western artist, I bring a sensibility to the medium that is not bound by tradition. The scale, power and beauty of washi continue to excite and challenge me. Painting in washi, brings me immediately into the present moment. As the fibers hit the screen and begin to swirl, I am transported into a meditative state where assumptions are suspended and improvisation begins. That is very liberating!”
