By SALINA POST
Artist Tomiyo Tajiri believes in passing kindness on to others.
"Seeing from Within," featuring Tajiri and her work, will be at this month's First Friday event at the Flower Nook, 208 E. Iron Avenue. The event is scheduled for 4:30-7 p.m. today and is open to the public.
Tajiri is a native Japanese Yasashii artist. The term "Yasashii" means "gentle and kindness" in Japanese and is believed to promote healings from any pain and suffering with the use of the patterns and designs. Tajiri uses the techniques to imprint positive feeling.
“I believe people have power so we can pass our own kindness to others,” she said.
Tajiri also places a high importance on the idea of reconnecting with nature to elevate one’s mood.
“I like natural. I like nature. I like the plants and the flowers,” she said, explaining that this is why she likes to honor and recreate the natural world in her origami, and she is willing to spend hours on the meticulous folds of the paper flowers and animals she brings to life.
The artist says the most important aspect of her creations is touch.
She works out design and color in her mind but relies on touch to bring her creations into being.
“My hand wants something to touch. That’s very important to me,” she said.
Washi is a fine paper made from the fibers of a Gampi tree, the Mitsumata shrub, and Kozo tree. It is more earth conscious then paper made from pulp; it cleans the air and enriches the heart. She uses the traditional Washi paper to create accessories, decorations, clothing and more.
Although legally blind, Tajiri has given demonstrations and training classes in New York, Colorado, California, and Kansas.
Tajiri has lost the ability to recognize or differentiate colors in her visual field. As her peripheral vision began to darken and shrink with time, she now has only a pinhole of vision remaining in the center.
“Although I am almost total blind, I am happy. I appreciate all the people in my life, including God, and touching and feeling things with my hands brings great comfort and happiness to me as well," she said. "My art provides me with a way to share the culture of Japan with others as it brings harmony to people and unites them in ways they never imagined.”
Tajiri is a member of the Wichita Envision Program and is scheduled to be joined at the First Friday event by colleague Charlie Wilks, according to information from The Flower Nook.
Envision's mission is to improve the quality of life and provide inspiration and opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired through employment, outreach, rehabilitation, education and research.
The Flower Nook has celebrated the ritual of First Friday for several years by offering new and unique exhibits each month that explore the creative process. Although the art remains at the Nook for a month at a time, the benefit of attending the First Friday’s 4:30-7 p.m. event is to meet the artist while browsing the variety of artisan creations.
In addition to each month's new backwall showcase, The Flower Nook has more than 15 regional artisan which makes the store a one of a kind experience for the community, the Nook noted in a news release.