Kayo Miwa

“I was born and raised in Ogaki City, Japan. After graduating from high school, I came to the United States to master English and to find a direction of my own interests. Studying Commercial Art & Design in Ironwood, Michigan not only brought me back my long-forgotten love of art, but also opened a new door to the North Country wilderness. In the summer of 1998, I visited Black River Waterfalls for the first time and fell in love with the falls and the region’s environment, especially that of Lake Superior. Like the vast volume of Lake Superior, water keeps washing the shores and reviving the surrounding nature, its gifts – woods, rivers, wild apples, flowers, snow, agates, and more – keep touching my soul and leaving significant impressions on my art.

“My art making seems to have taken its natural path in response to my environment. I began printmaking in my small kitchen to create seasonal greeting cards that I sent to my family and friends. The first inspiration came from simple potato stamps. Then, linoleum cut prints with a wooden kitchen spoon colors. While my prints reflect the North Country, my technique resembles traditional Japanese wood block print, thus bridging the gap between my artwork and my cultural background.

“My painting has evolved in the same way as my printmaking. I used to paint small watercolors on my kitchen table, depicting fresh foods, from fruits and vegetables to fish. Then, when I got my own studio at Finlandia University in Hancock Michigan, I finally started to work with more messy oil paints on larger canvasses. I usually paint from photos, laying out basic structures of trees and landscapes the way they are in nature. All other tangible elements like color, atmosphere, and feeling seem to emerge from inside me.

“Whatever medium or subject matter I decide to work with, I simply create what makes me happy. But, when my artwork finds somebody to share my love with, I, as an artist, become happier than ever. My art is my thanks to the environment that inspires me.”

Gorge Falls Linoleum Print View Details	Potowatomi Falls Linoleum Print View Details

Learn more about Kayo Miwa at www.keweenawkrayons.com/kayo.htm