January Artist talk with Kei Ito, 2021 Denis Roussel Fellow 1/27/21
Join us for an hour with guest artist, Kei Ito.
5:00 PM Mountain Time (7:00 PM Eastern Time) on Zoom
This event has passed
Kei Ito bio:
The idea of visualizing the invisible is something I have been continuously exploring in my practice as an artist. As a photographer and an installation artist, how do I retrieve something that is gone, taken away, or destroyed? How do I materialize the fear of radiation and the memory of one you loved? My recent works would express a strong connection between the sun and my family history regarding the idea of invisibility in light and shadow, and how the unique characteristic of photography as a media has allowed me to express this matter.
My recent artworks illuminate how I believe art should propose a question rather than an answer, especially in this age of chaos. Obama’s visit to the A-bomb Memorial in Hiroshima was a milestone in this on-going history of nuclear weaponry; however, the threat of a nuclear disaster is still on our throat. The rise of extreme nationalism and the hatred spread by those who believe in them are something we must not ignore. Through my artworks, the audience will be on a journey of grief, remembrance, and hope, and through the ritualistic image-making, they may see how my family history grapples with the legacy of nuclear weapons and power. Thus, my art serves as an intermediary between the heritage of my grandfather and today’s climate as a memento.