Heart of Los Angeles’ first visit to Craft in America Center

On this warm July morning, as schools are out for the summer and camps are in full swing, a group of middle and high school students from the summer program at Heart of Los Angeles (HoLA) paid us a visit at the Center. HoLA students had the chance to meet Kazuki Takizawa as his exhibition “Catharsis Contained” nears its final week– the show has been extended to July 15th. They explored the pieces that we have on view and he gave them a personalized talk about his practice, perspective and motivation.

This was our very first outreach with HoLA and we were impressed by the maturity of the students and their ability to express advanced interpretations of the artwork. It is wonderful having students initiate conversations through well-thought out questions. Throughout Kazuki’s presentation, many of the young ladies had perceptive questions about his art process, and the colors he selects in his glass work. One student in particular wondered about the word “auric,” which the artist used to entitle a piece he made in college. This served as an opportunity to discuss the light that we as individuals emanate and how color affects our moods.

A successful summer field trip, the students gathered around Kazuki to take a memorable group photo before heading to their next destination.  Next week, Kazuki will visit the students at HoLA and lead a hands-on workshop in the ancient art of Suminagashi, the Japanese art of marbling paper.