Mirrors: Solo exhibition by Yuri Shimojo

Praise Shadows is deeply honored to share the newest body of work by Yuri Shimojo in the upcoming exhibition, Mirrors, her second solo at the gallery. This collection of ink paintings were made in the aftermath of her cancer treatment and diagnosis, the passing of her beloved dog and companion Rudy, and a long-delayed visit to Japan to parse through the archives of her deceased family and her samurai ancestors. Shimojo’s fluid, intuitive painting style is an expression of these recent years of upheaval, loss, and healing. In the simplest sense, Shimojo paints to tell us that she is grateful to be alive.

Collaboration is a hallmark of Shimojo’s approach to developing the artworks in Mirrors. While the act of painting remains hers alone, for the first time in her artistic career, Shimojo has mounted the paintings as scrolls, working with scroll masters in Osaka. Another major collaboration is with three ink makers who gifted pigments and inks specifically for these new paintings: Heidi Gustafson, an artist and ochre specialist from the Pacific Northwest with a working archive of more than 600 pigments; Thomas Little, a North Carolina-based artist who dissolves iron from guns into ink and pigment for use in his—and others’—artistic practice; and Jason Logan, founder of The Toronto Ink Company, and an author, artist and ink-maker.

Artist Talk
Moderated by Gabrielle Niu, Assistant Curator, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Saturday, November 16, 4-5 pm. Registration required; register here.

Opening Reception
Saturday, November 16, 5-7 pm. Open to the public; registration not required.

Workshop: Be Brave – Make Your Mark
Hosted by the Boston Public Library. Registration required; register here.