about
Saya Moriyasu is an artist in Seattle. She uses green practices to create sculptures, paintings and drawings.
I love creating open stories in my artwork.
The mix of my Japanese father and my Oregon born and raised-on-a-farm mother made an incongruent world where a beautiful Kannon (goddess of mercy) shared the same space as a polyester afghan blanket. Living with that mix makes me love that same odd mix in chinoiserie (the European art/design made in a Chinese style). That wrongness is right to me.
My hands have touched, brushed and molded the art. Figurative elements connect the viewer with an emotional alliance and an implied story. The plot is open to interpretation and embellishment. Exploration reveals cultivated references: animism, Americana, class, history, consumerism, humor, decorative arts, Shintoism, and love of beauty.
Transformation of space invigorates my spirit. I incorporate drawing, ceramic sculpture, oil painting, wood, bronze, concrete, light, and other materials, bringing a feeling of warmth and connection to magnify experiential qualities.
BIO:
Saya Moriyasu has exhibited her work at venues including the Deitch Art Parade in New York, Aqua Art Miami, Montserrat College of Art, Henry Art Gallery Gift Shop Project, Bellevue Arts Museum, Tacoma Art Museum, and the Wing Luke Museum for the Asian American Experience. She holds a BFA from the University of Washington and has participated in residencies at the Museum of Glass, Centrum, Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Pilchuck Glass School, and Mission Street Arts.
An alumnus of SOIL Artist-Run Gallery, she is represented by J. Rinehart Gallery in Seattle. Her inspirations include Japanese traditional arts, geology, Shintoism, humor, and a love of beauty. Moriyasu is best known for her ceramic sculptures but also works with sumi ink, porcelain, printmaking, concrete, glass, and wood. Her commissioned work includes pieces for The Wing Luke Museum for the Asian American Experience, Meta, Vulcan Real Estate, SeaTac Airport, and the Seattle Office of Arts and Culture.
Currently, she is working on a community-driven project to restore the Sadako Sasaki sculpture in Seattle’s Peace Park.
All images copyright Saya Moriyasu.
All rights reserved.
Green practices note: solar panels generate electricity to help fire my kilns, I reduce, reuse and recycle my clay, I use rainwater to clean when possible, I drive a hybrid vehicle and I switched to a more efficient heating system in my studio. In addition, I live green by not eating lower on the food chain: I am a vegetarian.
Here’s a candid shot of work in my studio when preparing for Quiet at G. Gibson Gallery.