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L AUREN IIDA
32 aspects of daily life
L AUREN IIDA
32 aspects of daily life
5 1 2 1 S T A V E S , S E AT T L E , W A 9 8 1 0 4
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a r t x c h a n g e g a l l e r y
ABOUT ART XCHANGE GALLERY ArtXchange Gallery is a contemporary intercultural art gallery that inspires cultural exploration, the expansion of global community and the exchange of ideas through art. We exhibit art from around the world that reflects the diversity of influences shaping the Seattle community and contemporary global culture.
32 A SPECTS OF DAILY LIFE ArtXchange Gallery is proud to present 32 Aspects of Daily Life, a new series of mixed-media, paper cutaway portraits by Lauren Iida. In this exhibition, Iida pays homage to Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), the last great master of Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock printing. Inspired by Yoshitoshi’s images of women in his series of the same name, Lauren Iida’s 32 Aspects of Daily Life depicts female-identifying people that she has connected with during her daily life in Cambodia. Much of Iida’s work grows from her desire to document life around her and the varied cultural impacts that shape her world. As her work has developed, Iida has often alternated between exploring her Japanese American family history and documenting her current life living in Cambodia over the last twelve years. This exploration has led Iida to strike an unusual balance in her artwork by depicting contemporary subjects through formats inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock artists. This synthesis utilizes Iida’s signature style of intricate paper cut-away techniques, within a context that honors her family history. Yoshitoshi’s 32 Aspects of Daily Life (also known as 32 Aspects of Women), portrayed women from different backgrounds and occupations, each associated with a particular mood or character trait. The series, first published in 1888, became wildly popular in its time for depicting women from all areas of society. By featuring women from a range of social groups and occupations, Yoshitoshi offered a more realistic representation of women in art than was commonly seen. As in Yoshitoshi’s series, Iida offers a personal look at the nuances and subcultures of daily life in her immediate environment. Iida’s subjects include people she has made a connection with, from weavers of fishing nets, food sellers and street vendors, to traditional dance performers and fortune tellers. Mythology, symbolism, and nuance in color and pattern are taken into account, sometimes as a playful reinterpretation of the meaning or aesthetic of Yoshitoshi, and other times drawing from Japanese or Cambodian culture. This contemporary reinterpretation of Yoshitoshi’s series offers a glimpse into Iida’s life in Cambodia, while connecting us to our shared humanity across cultures and time.
Lauren Iida’s intricate paper cut-away technique can be traced back to the Japanese art of kiri-e, or the art of creating images from cut paper. Iida’s contemporary take on this ancient art blends photographic references, mixed-media drawing and painting, and her masterful technique of rendering positive and negative space in cut paper. Iida does not use scissors, only precise blades, in creating her work.
Lauren Iida 1. Tiresome: Grooming of the Vegetable Seller’s Daughter Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 12.5 in
Lauren Iida 2. Relaxed: The Appearance of a Sugar Seller Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 21 x 14.5 in
“32 Aspects of Daily Life pays homage to a series of the same name created in the 1880s by Japanese woodblock printer, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892). I have always longed to connect with my Japanese heritage, but because of lasting trauma through the generations since the Japanese incarceration during WWII in the US and subsequent loss of my family’s connection to its cultural heritage, I have largely been left to do this on my own, and mostly through my own research and artmaking.” - Lauren Iida, 2020
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Painful: Habits of a prostitute of the Kansei era, 1888 Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in Lauren Iida 3. Painful: The Appearance of a Woman with a Feather Tattoo Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 12.5 x 10 in
Lauren Iida 4. Warm: Fortune Teller of the South Coast Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 14.5 in
“I have spent most of my time in Cambodia over the last twelve years and this series reflects the mixed cultural impact I have from my biological and environmental influences, past and present. I am a sort of documentarian, relying heavily on photographs I take around Cambodia to inspire my artwork, but following loosely the individual meanings and nuances of Yoshitoshi’s original 32 portraits. All the portraits in the original series are of women, and all of the portraits in my series are of female-identifying people I have made a personal connection with. I spent half a year approaching people on my travels to every corner of Cambodia and taking their portraits with permission, often asking them to make direct eye contact with the camera.” - Lauren Iida, 2020
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Reference photo by Lauren Iida Lauren Iida 5. Refined: The Appearance of a Cham Waffle Maker Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 23 x 15.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 6. Smoky: The Appearance of a Housewife of the Sunken Forest Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 16.5 in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Smoky: Habits of a housewife of the Kyōwa era, 1888 Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Reference photo by Lauren Iida Lauren Iida 7. Chilly: The Appearance of a Fisherwoman at the Kep Crab Market Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 23 x 17 in
8. Hot: The Appearance of a Garment Factory Worker The original piece by Yoshitoshi is entitled Hot: the appearance of a wealthy housewife in the Bunsei era (1818-1830). It depicts an intimate and painful moment as a geisha endures burns from moxibustion treatment, an ancient practice which operates on principals similar to acupuncture. Points on the body are stimulated by ignited pellets of slow-burning material on the skin. This can be a painful process and often leaves scars. The subject of my piece inspired by Yoshitoshi’s original print is a woman I met in the outskirts of Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. Her husband is a tuk tuk driver and an old friend of mine. She and most of the other people living in their housing complex work in a nearby garment factory making clothes and shoes for the foreign market. The reference photo was taken in their small rental room where they live for now, working towards a better life they dream of in their countryside birthplace. They owe money to the bank so they plan to pay month by month with their small earnings until they’re debt-free, at which time they plan to move to the countryside to farm rice. My papercut piece shows the garment factory worker gripping her identity card lanyard between her teeth, a common symbol in traditional Japanese Ukiyo-e style block printing of silencing the cries of a woman. The ID card information has been replaced by the number 190 which stands for $190 USD, the current monthly minimum wage for garment factory workers who commonly work 6 days per week, 10-12 hour days in poor conditions without worker protections.
Lauren Iida 8. Hot: The Appearance of a Garment Factory Worker Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 18 x 15 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Reference photo by Lauren Iida Lauren Iida 9. Amused: The Appearance of a High-Ranking Cow Herder in Oddar Meanchey Province Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 15 x 11 in
Lauren Iida 10. Feminine: The Appearance of a Castle-Toppler of Kampot Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 15.5 in
Lauren Iida 11. Frozen: The Appearance of the Queen of the Phnom Penh Red Light District Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 20.5 x 16.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Heavy: Habits of a waitress in the licensed quarters at Fukagawa in the Tempō era Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in Lauren Iida 12. Heavy: The Appearance of a Phnom Penh Noodle Seller, Street 258 Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22 x 15 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 13. Inquisitive: The Preparations of a Traditional Dancer Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 19 x 16.5 in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Curious: Habits of an okoshō of the Tempō era, 1888 Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in
“Both the original series and my series provide a fascinating window into the many subcultures existing in my immediate environment. Like Yoshitoshi’s subjects, my subjects include prostitutes, wives of the working class, the elite, and people challenging gender roles.” - Lauren Iida, 2020
Lauren Iida 14. Suitable: The Appearance of Two Performers of the Licensed Quarters Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 12.5 in
Lauren Iida 15. Waking Up: The Appearance of a Girl Bathing in the Sunken Forest Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 16.5 x 18.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Itchy: Habits of a concubine of the Kaei era, 1888 Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in Lauren Iida 16. Itchy: The Appearance of an Unkept Woman Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 13.5 x 12 in
Lauren Iida 17. Tasty: The Appearance of a Phnom Penh Bargirl, Street 104 Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22.5 x 12.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT Lauren Iida: 18. Undecided: The Appearance of the Taxi Driver’s Wife Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 21.5 x 16 in Lauren Iida 19. Expectant: Habits of the Girl Who Watches Over the Cows Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22 x 15.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Reference photo by Lauren Iida Lauren Iida 20. Enjoying Herself: The Appearance of the Boatman’s Widow Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 24 x 18 in
Lauren Iida 21. Eager: The Appearance of a School Girl With Cherry Blossoms Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 17 x 21 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 22. Thirsty: The Habits of a Phnom Penh Fabric Seller Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22 x 17 in Lauren Iida 23. Contrary: The Habits of a Coconut Harvester Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 18.5 x 7 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 24. Cool: The Appearance of a Deaf Dancer Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 16 x 15.5 in Reference photo by Lauren Iida
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Reference photo by Lauren Iida Lauren Iida 25. Observant: The Appearance of a Night Market Balloon Dart Vendor Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 21 x 13.5 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 26. Cute: The Appearance of the Rice Phone Shaman’s Wife and Momotaro Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 23 x 13 in Tsukioka Yoshitoshi Cute: Habits of a housewife of the 10th year of the Meiji era, 1888 Japanese woodblock print 14 × 9.25 in
26. Cute: The Appearance of the Rice Phone Shaman’s Wife and Momotaro The original piece by Yoshitoshi is number 26 in the series and was printed in 1888. It is entitled Cute: Habits of a housewife of the 10th year of the Meiji era (1877). It is a portrait of a new mother with her infant son. She is joyfully playing with him, proud of her role as a respected housewife and mother. The subject I chose for this piece is the wife of a prominent shaman in a rural Cambodian village. She assists her husband and is also the village midwife. Her husband regularly sees clients seeking information about deceased loved ones or curious about their future fortunes. He gathers a handful of uncooked rice and speaks to the otherworld on it like a telephone. His wife poses here proudly with their adopted daughter, a young girl she described to me as “unwanted” by her real parents. In this piece, I’ve drawn a comparison between the young orphan and Momotaro, or the Japanese legend of “Peach Boy.” In the legend, a Japanese elderly couple who were childless, encounter a giant peach floating down the river one day when they are doing their laundry. They remove the peach from the water, cut it open, and to their surprise, a boy jumps out and becomes their adopted son, Momotaro, who grows up to be a great warrior.
Lauren Iida 27. Dark: The Appearance of a Shaman and Her Nieces in Banteay Meanchey District Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 21 x 14 in
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida with her artwork, Siem Reap, Cambodia Lauren Iida 28. Dangerous: The Artist’s Wife of the Current Era Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 50 x 23 in
Detail of 28. Dangerous: The Artist’s Wife of the Current Era
FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Lauren Iida 29. Shy: The Appearance of a Young Artist from Kralanh District Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 11.5 x 6.5 in Lauren Iida 30. Drowsy: The Habits of a Village Mother Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 22 x 16 in
Lauren Iida 31. Delighted: The Appearance of a Garment Factory Worker on Holiday Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 24 x 18 in
Lauren Iida 32. Strolling: The Appearance of Self Hand-cut paper, watercolor and ink 10 x 9 in
ABOUT THE ARTIST Lauren Iida is a contemporary artist working between Seattle and Cambodia. She specializes in intricately hand-cut paper, often incorporating watercolor, ink wash and shadow play. Much of Iida’s work is influenced by Cambodia, where she has been working on various non-profit and social entrepreneurship projects since 2008. Other major influences include her family’s Japanese-American heritage, their incarceration during WWII, and her Pacific Northwest home. Since graduating from Cornish College of the Arts Cum Laude in 2014, Iida has exhibited her work at venues throughout the Pacific NW region including ArtXchange Gallery, the Mayor’s Gallery at Seattle City Hall, and Sculpture Northwest. She has received a GAP Grant from Artist Trust, a Fellowship from the Art Matters Foundation, and her work has been collected and commissioned for permanent public installation by the City of Seattle, the City of Shoreline, the Washinton State Convention Center, and Sound Transit. In Cambodia, Iida leads art tours and operates the artist collective Open Studio Cambodia, which supports emerging Khmer artists by offering art materials, professional practices training, and opportunities to exhibit.
l auren iida selected solo e xhibitions
2020 2018 2017 2017 2016 2015 2014
32 Aspects of Daily Life, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA 100 Aspects of the Moon, Virago Gallery, Seattle, WA Reverie, Java Creative Cafe, Phnom Penh, Cambodia How to Trap a Memory, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA Gallery at City Hall, Shoreline City Hall, Shoreline, WA Mayor’s Gallery at Seattle Municipal Building, Seattle City Hall Cornish College of the Arts Alumni Gallery, Seattle, WA
selected group e xhibitions
2020 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014
A Brighter Future, Ethnic Heritage Gallery, ARTS at King Street Station, Seattle, WA Like Mother, Tacoma Art Museum, Tacoma, WA Elevating the Everyday, North Seattle College, Seattle, WA And She Persisted: Voices of Women Artists, King Street Station, Seattle, WA Processing: Artists Face Administration Change, Ethnic Heritage Gallery, Seattle City Hall, Seattle, WA Home, Heart and Hearth, Potter Gallery at Missouri Western State, St. Joseph, MO Scars and Stripes, Spaceworks Gallery, Tacoma, WA Strange Coupling, King Street Station, Seattle, WA Highblood, Spaceworks Gallery, Tacoma, WA Rajana Spean Arts Summit, King Street Station, Seattle, WA Cultural Perspectives: Part 1, Seattle Portable Works Collection, Seattle Municipal Tower, Seattle, WA Eclectic/Kinetic, Sculpture Northwest, Bellingham, WA Scissors + Paper, ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA Near/Far, Gage Academy of Art, Seattle, WA
commissions and projects
Public Art Comes to Your Front Yard, Public Art Commission, Office of Arts & Culture, Seattle, WA Public Art Commission, Washington State Convention Center Addition, Seattle, WA Memory Net, Public Art Commission, Sound Transit Art Program, Federal Way Link Extension Mural, Seattle, WA Writing and Illustration for the Bunong people of Cambodia. Hired by representatives of a Cambodian indigenous ethnic group to translate and illustrate a book of their mythology in cut paper. The Rat Tree, Illustrations for a graphic novel by Susan Carr. Portrait of Wing Luke, Wing Luke Museum, Seattle, WA Public Art Commission, City of Shoreline, WA
collections and awards
2019 2017 2016
Purchase award, King County Public Art Collection Art Matters Fellowship recipient Artist Trust GAP Grant recipient Purchase award, City of Seattle Portable Works Collection
selected press
2017 2016 2014 2013
Intricate paper cutouts capture life in Lauren Iida’s artwork Seattle King 5 Evening program. First aired April 20, 2017 Review: Seattle artist creates entire worlds with paper and scissors Michael Upchurch, The Seattle Times. April 4, 2017 Each piece is a puzzle: Japanese-American cut paper artist Lauren Iida Lisa Pollman, Art Radar. April 20, 2016 Heaven is an Exacto knife and a blank piece of paper Justine Chan, The International Examiner. March 15, 2016 Lauren Iida: On Cutting and Histories, Restoration and Libraries Tamiko Nimura, The International Examiner. December 9, 2014 Five Seattle Artists to Watch, Florangela Davila, Crosscut. December 16, 2013
te aching and cur atorial work
2018 - Present Founder, Open Studio, Siem Reap, Cambodia. Founder of a collaborative art studio supporting emerging Cambodian visual artists. 2016-17 Gallery Director, Make.Shift Art Space, Bellingham, WA Curated and managed monthly exhibitions. Lead Art Teacher, Sanctuary Arts, Seattle, WA Visual arts teacher for homeless youth 2015-16 Lead Art Teacher, Gage Academy of Arts, Seattle, WA Customized art curriculum to accommodate varying groups of teen and adult students based on skill level, age, and interests. educ ation
2014
Bachelor of Fine Arts (Cum Laude), Cornish College of the Arts, Seattle, WA
gallery representation
Represented by ArtXchange Gallery, Seattle, WA
Cora Edmonds Gallery Director Lauren Davis Assistant Director Summer Ventimiglia Client and Gallery Specialist Lauren Brown Gallery Assistant and Graphic Designer Cover: detail of 13. Inquisitive: The Preparations of a Traditional Dancer Back: detail of 7. Chilly: The Appearance of a Fisherwoman at the Kep Crab Market Š May 2020 No part of this publication may be reproduced without consent from ArtXchange Gallery and the artist All images courtesy of the artist
5 1 2 1 S T AV E S , S E AT T L E , W A 9 8 1 0 4
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a r t x c h a n g e
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a r t x c h a n g e g a l l e r y