Beer With a Painter: Barbara Takenaga
The Japanese-American artist talks about her place as a paint dot in the universe and embracing disruption in her canvases.
Barbara Takenaga, a painter known for her intricate and thought-provoking works, is based in a Manhattan studio filled with her tools and influences. Her art, characterized by repetitive filaments of paint, evokes emotions ranging from fear to contemplation, often challenging the viewer's perception of reality. Born in Nebraska in 1949, Takenaga studied at the University of Colorado, Boulder, and has had a career teaching art at Williams College.
Her work, which has been exhibited in numerous galleries, including the Williams College Museum of Art and the Kemper Museum of Art, reflects her journey from being one of few Japanese Americans in her school to embracing her Asian American identity within the Midwest landscape. Her recent paintings draw inspiration from Asian art, particularly woodblock prints of kabuki actors, transforming traditional elements into abstract, universally evocative shapes.
Despite the complexity of her work, Takenaga maintains a humble and humorous demeanor, reflecting the humanity and disruptions present in her pieces.
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