How Art and Nature Help Heal Trauma
For Release: Thursday, September 30, 2021
Contact: Su-Yin Bickner, sbickner@ashbyvillage.org
When: Sunday, October 17th 2-4PM PDT
Where: Zoom Webinar: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82335700843
Kimi Hill, Granddaughter of World-Renowned Artist, Berkeley’s Chiura Obata, To Share His Work & Wisdom With Ashby Village & J-Sei
What can East Bay elders learn and teach the rest of us about the role of art and nature in healing trauma? On Sunday, 10/17, from 2-4 PM PDT, on Zoom, Kimi Hill, granddaughter of the world-renowned American artist and distinguished UC Berkeley Professor Chiura Obata, will address members of Ashby Village and co-sponsor J-Sei, as part of the Ashby Village Arts & Culture Series.
During her talk—“Chiura Obata: Art & Life Inspired by Nature”—Hill will share images
of Obata’s moving work and wise words, then answer questions. Many consider Obata
to be one of America’s foremost 20th century landscape painters. His art and philosophy of gratitude and reverence for Dai Shizen —Great Nature— resonate with millions of admirers, old and new.
“Paintings must give to others the kind of feeling about Nature that Nature gives us,” Hill quotes her grandfather. To paint rivers, for example, Obata dipped his brush in the water to literally bring the river into his painting.
As family historian, Hill both consulted on the recent Smithsonian American Art Museum Obata retrospective and edited the book "Topaz Moon: Chiura Obata’s Art of the Internment", which tells the story of the Obata family, one among many thousands of Japanese-Americans stripped of their homes and livelihoods and incarcerated during WWII.
This Zoom webinar (with Automated/AI captioning) is free and open to the public. Please RSVP to info@ashbyvillage.org. A recording will run on Ashby Village’s YouTube channel for a week from 10/17 - 24.
To find out more or to arrange interviews, please contact Su-Yin Bickner, sbickner@ashbyvillage.org.