As Garden Curator of the Portland Japanese Garden, Sadafumi Uchiyama hasn’t strayed from his roots. “In Japan, you do what you’re brought up to do,” he says. But Uchiyama did rebel, moving from Japan and eventually landing in Chicago, where he received his masters in landscape architecture from the
Sueharu Fukami’s sculpture, which includes Sora ni, shown, presents with photos by Jean Vollum through November 17 as part of the Portland Japanese Garden’s Art in the Garden.
University of Illinois. This East/West perspective made Uchiyama a natural as the first curator in the Garden’s history. While his staff maintains the 5.5 acres, Uchiyama digs into the past and, more importantly, what lies ahead. “I represent the Garden in a philosophical way and set the tone for the future,” he says. Designed in 1963 by landscape architect Takuma Tono, the site took 20 years to construct. Uchiyama continues Tono’s vision today, “but not blindly,” he says. “The importance is not what’s planted but how one species takes on many forms.” Such as an 80-foot tree next to a 4.5-foot hedge—both hemlocks. Of the five featured areas, Uchiyama’s favorite remains the Natural Garden. “It looks more like a forest and less like a garden, so I feel like I’m getting away,” he says. But never very far. japanesegarden.com; 503.223.1321
VISION KEEPER
SADAFUMI UCHIYAMA TO CELEBRATE THE GARDEN’S 50TH ANNIVERSARY…
I am working with Japanese architect Kengo Kuma on the Cultural Crossing project, with plans to double the size of the Garden and incorporate the International Institute of Garden Arts and Culture. We just finished the schematic design and are moving into design development for the next 50 years and beyond. GREATEST INFLUENCES:
My mentor is Robert Riley, professor emeritus at the University of Illinois. The most eye-opening essay I’ve read was The Beholding Eye: Ten Versions of the Same Scene, by Donald W. Meinig. FAVORITE GARDENING SOURCE:
Smith Rock in Portland. It’s the rock supplier I most frequent and where I meet many stone sculptors and masons. DESCRIBE THE GARDEN.
It’s a piece of art so to speak, but we see it as a place to do something meaningful, a place of interaction. It’s a healing garden— there are always people doing meditation, yoga and photography. Ultimately, it’s a way to reconnect with nature. LUXE INTERIORS
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