Artist Allen West

This week I had the opportunity to attend a presentation given by artist Allen West. He is an established painter of traditional Japanese art (Nihonga in Japanese). More specifically, his style is from the Kano school and he has been referred to as the last remaining painter of the Kano school in Japan. Interesting given that he’s gaijin, a foreigner from America. His work is mostly commissioned and large scale, often Japanese folding screens called byobu, or hanging scrolls called kakemono. His demonstration revealed the arduous nature of his work. He spends most of his time kneeling on a wooden plank he’s placed on top of the piece on which he’s working, which is lying on the floor. He communicated it takes about two to three months to finish one screen. The materials are pricey as they contain bits of coral, precious stone, or gold or silver leaf. Well worth it since these characteristics cause the art to magnificently radiate in sunlight. His work is stunning and I hope to make it to his studio, which is an old car repair station with walls of glass, or visit his exhibit that will be in our neighborhood in May.