Elizabeth Akamatsu

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Born in Yokosuka, Japan

 

 

EDUCATION

MFA, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Illinois

BA, California State University at Fullerton

 

 

PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

1990-1993           Assistant Professor of Art, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX

1993-1995           Assistant Professor of Art, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

1995-present      Full time artist

SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS

2016          Needles, Labyrinths and Stardusts, Museo de Casa Chihuahua, Chihuahua, Mexico

The Three Elements, Hardin-Simmons University, Abilene, TX

2014          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Susan Listerlocke Gallery, Nantucket, MA

2013          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Graficas, Nantucket, MA (also in 2012)

2011          Growing Paradise, collaboration with Piero Fenci, illustrations of poems written by Ann Filemyr

                  (limited edition handmade letterpress book printed by the LaNana Creek Press), Museum of

                  Contemporary Native Art Museum, Santa Fe, NM

2010          Metal Heart, Elizabeth Akamatsu and Lauren McAdam, University of Dallas, Irving, TX

2009          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Texas A&M University at Commerce

2008          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Christine Sanford, South Wharf Gallery, Nantucket, MA

2006          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, South Wharf Gallery, Nantucket, MA

(also in 2005, 2004, 2003 ,2002, 2001)

 Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Tyler Museum, Tyler, TX

New Sculptures, Graficas, Tucson, AZ

2005          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA (also in 2003, 2002)

2004          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Christine Sanford, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA

2003          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Rick Lewis, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

2001          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Masuru Takiguchi, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

2000          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Maryann Gelula, South Wharf Gallery, Nantucket, MA

1999          The Rock Garden, Museum of East Texas, Lufkin, TX

The Garden of Wants, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Transco Tower Gallery, Houston, TX

1997          Elizabeth Akamatsu and Piero Fenci, Main Street Gallery, Nantucket, MA (also in 1996)

1996          Solo Exhibition, Louisiana State University, Shreveport, LA

Gestures and Symbols, two person exhibition, Art League of Houston, TX

1993          Solo Exhibition, Cameron University Art Gallery, Lawton, OK

Solo Exhibition, Stephen F. Austin State University, Nacogdoches, TX

Elizabeth Akamatsu and Kate Borcherding, Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX

1991          Solo Exhibition, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017          Old Town Art Splash, public art exhibition, Coppell, TX

Boerne Art al Fresco Public Art Competition, Boerne, TX

Profusion in the Void, TSG exhibition, Artspace 111, Fort Worth, TX

2016         The Woodlands Waterway Art Bench, Woodlands, TX

Oak Park Sculpture Walk, Oak Park, IL

18th Annual Art on the Streets, Colorado Springs, CO

Art on Henderson, Dallas, TX, first place

Dallas Art Fair, exhibited by RO2 Art, Fashion Industry Gallery, TX

2015          Speaking Silence, Shoal Creek Gallery, Austin, TX

Sculpture on Main Street, Marble Falls, TX

Art Around Town, Carbondale Public Sculpture, Carbondale, CO

2015 Seven State Biennial, Nesbitt Gallery, Chickasha, OK

Yeah It’s Salon Style, Ro2 Artist Group Show, Dallas, TX

Dallas Art Fair, exhibited by Ro2 Art, Fashion Industry Gallery, TX

2014          Chaos!!, Ro2 Art Dallas, TX

Dallas Art Fair, exhibited by Ro2 Art, Fashion Industry Gallery, TX

2013          Group Exhibition, Miami, FL

2012          Group Exhibition, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA

Gallery Nord, Encaustic Con 2012, international juried exhibition, San Antonio, TX

2011           Elizabeth Akamatsu, Piero Fenci, and Michael Francis, RO2 Art Uptown Gallery, Dallas

2010           No Rhyme or Reason, RO2 Downtown Gallery, Dallas, TX

2009          Texas Sculpture Association’s Statewide Juried Art Exhibition, HCG Gallery, Dallas, TX

2007          Group Exhibition, Page Bond Gallery, Richmond, VA

2006          Group Exhibition, The Museum of Southeast Texas, Beaumont, TX

2003          Group Exhibition, Elizabeth Edwards Gallery, Palm Desert, CA

2002          Round One, invitational, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

The 19 Annual National Juried Art Exhibition, Warehouse Living Arts Center, Corsicana, TX

2001           Assistance League Juried Exhibition, Transco Tower, Houston, TX

Boxes, invitational exhibition, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

2000          4 Person Invitational, Acacia Gallery, Gloucester, Massachusetts

                   Miniatures, invitational exhibition, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

                   Spatial Expressions, invitational, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

                   Best of the Southwest, first place, Longview Museum, Longview, TX

                   Refined II: The Vessel, invitational , Stephen F. Austin State University, Griffith Gallery, Nacogdoches, TX

                   South Wharf Group Exhibition, Nantucket, MA (also in 1999, 1998)

1999          Group Exhibition of Fruit, The New Gallery, Nantucket, MA

                   Invitational Exhibition, the (x) Gallery, Nantucket, MA

1998          The Figure and the Chair Invitational, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

 15th Annual National Juried Exhibition, 1st place, Corsicana,TX

1997          Art Celebration, 5 person show, Hooks-Epstein Galleries, Houston, TX

 Dishman National Juried Competition, Dishman Art Gallery, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX

1996          Sculpture on the Green, Omni Houston Hotel, Houston, TX

 Dishman National Juried Competition, Dishman Art Gallery, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX

                   Regional Craft Biennial, juried exhibition, Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, AK

                   The 23rd Annual Juried Competition, Masur Museum of Art, Monroe, LA

1995          Seductive Surfaces, group invitational, Sally Sprout Gallery, Houston, TX

                   Assimilation, invitational, Galveston Arts Center, Galveston, TX

                   Dishman Competition, second place, national juried exhibition, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX

 “12x12x12x95” Small Painting/Sculpture Exhibition, national juried competition, Houston, TX

                   29th Annual National Drawing/Small Sculpture Show, first place, Del Mar College, Corpus Christi, TX

                   Gulf of Mexico Symposium Juried Art Show, Corpus Christi Art Center, Corpus Christi, TX

                   Material + Form, juried exhibition, Art League of Houston, Houston, TX

                   Faculty Art Exhibition, Sam Houston State University, Gaddis Geeslin Gallery, Huntsville, TX

1994          The Omni Houston Second Annual Sculpture on the Green, invitational, Houston, TX

                   Faculty Art Exhibition, Sam Houston State University, Gaddis Geeslin Gallery, Huntsville, TX

                   Member Show, Trammel Crow Center, Dallas, TX

                   Materials: Hard and Soft, national juried competition, Meadows Gallery, Denton, TX

                   Material + Form, second place, juried exhibition, Art League of Houston, Houston, TX

1993          Contemporary Metal: Form and Narrative, traveling invitational, Krannert Art Museum,

Champaign, Illinois/I-Space Gallery, Chicago, IL

1992          Faculty Show, Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, TX

                  Texas Sculpture Association Membership Show, juried, Trammel Crow Center, Dallas, TX

1991          The National Sculpture Exhibition, invitational, Deland Museum of Art, Deland, FL

                   7th Annual Competition, Lubbock Fine Arts Center, Lubbock, TX

                   Sculpture at the Quadrangle Competition, Dallas, TX

1990          Metals Now, juried, Downey Museum of Art, Downey, CA

                   The Wichita National 1990, Wichita Art Association, Wichita, KS

                   Excellence ‘90, juried, Plaza of the Americas, Dallas, TX

                   Crafts ‘90, merit award, Paducah Art Guild Gallery, Paducah, KY

 Conversations, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

                   40th Spiva Annual Competitive, third place, Joplin, MO

                   Mid-States Craft Exhibition, juried, Evansville Museum of Arts/Sciences, Evansville, IN

                   California Metal Forms ‘90, juried, California Crafts Museum, San Francisco, CA

1989          MFA Thesis Exhibition, Southern Illinois University Museum, Carbondale

                   The Artist’s Perspective, Swen Parson Gallery, DeKalb, IL

                   Illinois Ozarks, Southern Illinois University Museum, Carbondale

1988          Paducah ‘88, Art Gallery, Paducah, KY

                   Illinois Ozarks, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL

                   Wearables, purchase award, Associated Artists’ Gallery, Carbondale, IL

                   Conversations, invitational, Southern Illinois University Museum, Carbondale, IL

1987          Exhibition of SIU Graduate Metal Students, Invitational, Drake University, Des Moines, IA

 SIU Metals Exhibit, invitational, National Ornamental Metal Museum, Memphis, TN

                   Southern Illinois Women, juried, John A. Logan College, Carterville, IL

                   Holloware 1987, national juried competition, SUNY College, Brockport, NY

                   National Metals USA, juried, College of Marin, Kentfield, CA

1986          Contemporary Metals USA, national juried competition, Downey Museum, Downey, CA

 

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

Capital One, Richmond, Virginia

Congregation Emanu-El, Houston, Texas

Kendra Scott, Austin, Texas

Halls Park, Frisco, Texas

 

 

PUBLICATIONS

                   “Creative Jolt Inspirations”, Rose Gonnella, North Light Books, 2000

 

 

WORKSHOP

2010          “From Plain to Exquisite Form”, Anderson Ranch, Snowmass, CO

I am an object maker. Sometimes I start with an idea.  I’ll objectify it out of a raw material such as steel, bronze, and/or wood.  At other times, I’ll start with a found object, such as an exceptionally beautiful branch which I then incorporate into a sculpture to create a piece that is uniquely mine. This process of creating can occur in a moment or take months to come to fruition. This is the magic of making art.

My art can be categorized into four themes: examining nature, searching for identity, telling stories, and expressing through geometric form.

Examining the natural world I can find endless examples of surprising symbiotic relationships. The process of seeing and discovering inspires me to create forms that capture the essence of our precarious existence on the planet. In these works, I strive to reveal the mystery of humanity’s vital relationship with the environment.

My mother is Japanese and my father is Chinese.  I grew up in a white community that always made me feel like an outsider.  Much of my work serves as a sounding board for questions that I feel compelled to examine and address dealing with my identity.

Classical mythology and folk tales provide rich sources with which to create narrative tropes. Storytelling provides understanding and guidance; it allays our fears and answers our questions.

Seeing a triangle, square, or circle creates an instant gestalt. I like to refer to these basic forms as “the sacred geometry”.  They hold a great visual power that all human beings can understand at a gut level. Think of the Great Pyramids in Egypt; their simple form rivets us with its overpowering grandeur. Think of the unassuming sugar cube; when examined closely with a magnifying glass, its beauty is breathtaking.  And lastly, visualize the circle; it’s a symbol of perfection and union understood around the world.

These themes all ultimately converge to create my art, which I hope proves to be captivating, timeless, and thought provoking.