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Paso Arts | The ART of the Paper

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Photo of the Month

Photo of the Month

PASO ARTS

The ART of the Paper

BY LYNN KISHIYAMA

Lynn has been collecting paper for as long as she can remember. She’s always been intrigued by the textures, colors, and weights of different papers. While living in Japan, her fascination with paper eventually led her to learn the craft of traditional Japanese paper-making at Saitama Dento Kogei Kaikan in Ogawamachi, Japan. Her work has been shown at the Ueno Metropolitan Art Museum in Tokyo, art festivals around the West Coast, and in galleries throughout California.

After Lynn returned stateside, she settled in Paso Robles where she grew olives, produced boutique olive oil, and raised a herd of cavorting alpacas. Her muse was calling, however, and she became a founding member of Studios on the Park in Paso Robles.

Before becoming a full-time artist, Lynn moved 10 times in 20 years, following her spouse from city to city, country to country. Each new environment required that she re-imagine herself and her place in the world. She worked a variety of jobs, including flight attendant, ski instructor, ranch hand, set and costume designer, and interior wall upholsterer. She graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and holds a master’s degree in spiritual psychology from the University of Santa Monica.

Lynn’s father was a U.S. soldier who met her mother in the Philippines following the end of World War II. Lynn was born in the Philippines and raised in Livermore, California. During her years in Japan she immersed herself in Japanese culture by attending Kabuki Theater, sumo tournaments, sorting through piles and piles of used kimonos at local shrine sales, and relishing Japan’s ever-changing seasons.

Lynn is fascinated with the versatility, capability, and strength of paper, and always asking “what if?” She is constantly pushing the boundaries — the boundaries of her knowledge, her imagination, and of her materials. Every piece she creates is an experiment, a dance with the medium, and no two are the same. Lynn will add, subtract, tear, cut, mix, and marry varieties of paper, from the ordinary to the exotic: cotton, rag, handmade, textured, and washi. Many of Lynn’s collages are inspired by her memories of Japan. She often uses elements from old kimonos and fans, and many of her works include maps, enigmatic scrolls, old postcards, documents, Asian currency, and other found objects.

Her art is colorful, fun, and always thought-provoking.

“I love to tell people the stories behind my work,” Lynn says.

Drop by Studios on the Park in downtown Paso Robles to view Lynn’s collages and other creations, or you can view them online at www.lynnkishiyama.com.

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