Between Worlds, Within Memories – Toru Sugita & Fumiyo Yoshikawa

Inclusions Gallery

Blending tradition with personal narratives, Between Worlds, Within Memories, featuring works by Toru Sugita and Fumiyo Yoshikawa, invites viewers on a reflective journey through time, space, and memory. Presented in a compelling interplay of printmaking and Nihonga (traditional Japanese painting), the exhibit explores themes of displacement, nostalgia, and the fluid nature of identity.

A Dialogue Between Techniques and Histories

Sugita’s prints are deeply evocative, often capturing fleeting urban landscapes with a sense of transience and longing. His masterful use of light and shadow in mezzotint and woodcut printmaking mirrors the emotional depth of memories—fragments of places once familiar yet distant. In contrast, Yoshikawa’s ethereal Nihonga paintings embrace delicate mineral pigments and gold leaf, breathing life into nature, folklore, and personal reflection.

The contrast in their techniques—one grounded in printmaking’s precision, the other in Nihonga’s organic textures—creates a dynamic conversation. While Sugita’s work reflects the passing of time and impermanence, Yoshikawa’s paintings embody continuity, linking the past with the present through traditional craftsmanship.

Themes of Identity and Memory

Both artists address the complexities of cultural identity and personal history. Sugita, who has lived between Japan and the U.S., subtly weaves themes of belonging and displacement into his cityscapes. Yoshikawa, rooted in the meticulous tradition of Japanese painting, challenges the boundaries of classical Nihonga by infusing modern sensibilities. Together, their works evoke a sense of in-betweenness—existing simultaneously in past and present, East and West.

A Poetic and Introspective Experience

Visitors to the exhibit will find themselves immersed in a meditative and deeply emotional atmosphere. The interplay of mediums, textures, and perspectives invites contemplation—where does memory reside, and how do we carry it across worlds?

Between Worlds, Within Memories is more than an exhibition; it explores the fragile, beautiful space between history and personal experience. Whether through the quiet intensity of Sugita’s prints or the luminous elegance of Yoshikawa’s Nihonga, the show offers a profound meditation on art’s ability to hold and transform memory.

⭐ Verdict: A must-see for those drawn to the intersection of tradition, modernity, and personal storytelling.

Calendar – Bernal Heights and Beyond