Lancaster, CA. September 14, 2016 — Lancaster’s Museum of Art and History (MOAH) and MOAH:Cedar are pleased to announce their newest exhibition, Chie Hitotsuyama: To Hear Your Footsteps, opening on Sunday, October 2 with a public reception from 4 to 6 p.m.
This multi-dimensional exhibition features 19 sculptures throughout the Museum’s galleries. Hitotsuyama, MOAH:CEDAR’s second artist-in-residence, will launch a workshop series on Saturday, October 8 with Chie Hitotsuyama: An Introduction. Additional workshops will be held through November 5. To Hear Your Footsteps will be on exhibit from October 2, 2016 to January 7, 2017 at MOAH:Cedar.
To Hear Your Footsteps is the first American exhibition of the sculptural work of renowned Japanese artist Chie Hitotsuyama, created using recycled newspaper shaped into remarkable life-size animals and marine life. Born in Shizuoka, Japan, Hitotsuyama’s career began as an illustrator; however, childhood memories of her family’s historic paper factory led her to find joy in utilizing unwanted paper as her medium.
She explains, “My grandfather owned and operated a paper mill. So, it was quite natural that I came to work with paper as my material of choice. For my work, I primarily use old discarded newspapers - ones that have become unwanted and no longer have a purpose to the original owner. I then make paper strings out of the old newspapers, just as the old wooden thawing machines did in my grandfather's factory, but instead, this time I use my hands.”
During her residency, Hitotsuyama will create a new series focusing on the native wildlife of Southern California. This new sculptural work is being made possible in large part by the generous support of the Los Angeles Times, which has donated over 1000 pounds of newsprint for the series.
MOAH:Cedar, located at 44857 Cedar Avenue, is open from 2 to 8 p.m., Thursday through Sunday. For more information, visit www.lancastermoah.org or call (661) 723-6250.