Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun

In residence:

Erie, Pennsylvania – August 17 – September 10, 2020

Hiromi Mizugai Moneyhun is a native of Kyoto, Japan. Since 2012, Hiromi and her handcut paper sculptures have been written of in every major publication in the Jacksonville area, including the city’s largest newspaper, the Florida Times Union. She was chosen by Huffington Post for a feature article as one of only four artists nationwide from Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art's 2014-2015 show, State of the Art: Discovering American Art Now. Hiromi received attention in her native Japan when she appeared as the subject of a syndicated Japanese television show. Her work has appeared numerous times in northeast Florida in group and solo shows, in New York City, in London, and, as mentioned above, in Bentonville, Arkansas, in the Crystal Bridges Museum.

Hiromi began drawing at a young age, and with no formal art training, has evolved a unique homegrown artistic voice that combines traditional Japanese visual art forms with the super-modernity that is now found in all of Japan's biggest cities. Her most significant early influence was ehon, a general term given to Japanese picture books, especially those that featured images taken from original papercuts by Giro Takihira, who was also known as a woodblock print artist.

As with woodblock prints, Hiromi's paper sculptures are the result of a multi-step process that produces an art that is at once amusingly lighthearted and startlingly alive. Her pieces invite the viewer in; indeed, one feels compelled to reach out and touch the art. Like the works of all the great masters, Hiromi’s pieces are best appreciated when viewed in person.

Artist's Website: http://hiromipapercut.com