National Art Center of Tokyo displays works by RU alumni
Radford University alumni Shaun Whiteside and Sidra Kaluszka are among 25 international artists from Japan, Europe and the United States to have artwork displayed at The National Art Center of Tokyo, Japan.
Whiteside's "Darkness"
Whiteside and Kaluszka are featured in the 17th Japan Media Arts Festival, on display this month. The pair recently had their artwork introduced to Japanese ceramic artist Akiko Tanaka through professional connections. Impressed with the quality of their work, Tanaka invited them both to participate in the festival.
Whiteside earned his M.F.A. from Radford in 2011 and a B.A. from CNU in 2007. He is currently an adjunct instructor in the RU Department of Art. Whiteside sent a 90 x 50 inch ink drawing titled, "Darkness," for the exhibit.
"This is my first time exhibiting outside of the U.S., so it was very exciting to be invited, Whiteside said. "I almost didn't believe it was real until I confirmed the package had arrived in Japan. I am certainly honored to be included in such a select group of artists, and for the opportunity to help represent art from the United States."
Kaluszka's "My Fair Lady"
Kaluszka graduated with a double M.F.A. from RU in 2010 and earned her B.A. in 2007 from Virginia Tech. Her contribution to the exhibit is a porcelain vase titled "My Fair Lady" that shows off the Asian influences in her work.
"My work is an expression of love for simple elegant shapes as well as the natural world," she said. "I have developed my technique by studying Asian ink paintings where artists created complex forms by breaking them down into a series of abstract brush strokes."
The National Art Center is an innovative and unique art exhibition facility. It is one of the largest venues for art in Japan. The National Art Center promotes outreach activities through its educational programs and exhibitions.
For more information about the work of RU's M.F.A. artists, visit the Department of Art.