Yuriko Kitamura Paintings

Works on Ricepaper

#08-02

Watercolors and Graphite Drawings

Yuriko Kitamura was born in Hokkaido, Japan. She completed a B.Sc. degree before immigrating to North America in 1963. Her career as an artist began in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, where she now resides.

Nature's spontaneous and sometimes-fragile existence is an underlying theme in Yuriko's work.

She captures the timeless serenity, the power and endurance of rugged mountains, the delicacy of a flower or the essence of the human figure.

Yuriko pioneered the technique of dye painting on rice paper and taught this method for 14 years at the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension. Her art has been exhibited in North America, Europe, and Asia and is found in many private and public collection around the world, including the Alberta Foundation for the Arts CD-ROM.

Yuriko’s mixed media paintings on rice paper are created by “wet on wet” watercolour technique using dyes and/or pigments on rice paper.  Since rice paper is porous, wax lines are applied as resist, therefore keeping the dyes and pigments where they are desired.  Then wax was applied on the whole rice paper in order to protect it from damage by water.

It is recommended that the painting not be hung in direct sunlight, nor exposed to high temperatures.

Selected Exhibitions

2002 "Mountains and Bears", group exhibition, Willock & Sax Gallery, Waterton Lakes National Park - in celebration of the United Nations International Year of the Mountain
2002 "Selected Influence" group exhibition, Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge, AB
2000 Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden, Lethbridge, AB
2000-2002 "Bridging a New Century", ASA 7th Anniversary travelling exhibition, Alberta
2000 McMullen Gallery, University of Alberta Hospital, Edmonton
2000 The Works International Visual Arts Festival, Edmonton
2000 Scott Gallery, Edmonton
1998 "Process", Kensington Gallery, Calgary, AB
1996 "Process", Kathleen Laverty Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1995 "Growing Well", McMullen Gallery, WC MacKenzie Health Sciences Center, Edmonton, AB
1994 "Spring Florals", Horizon Gallery, Vancouver, BC
1994 "New Works", Kensington Fine Art Gallery, Calgary, AB
1993 "Instructors' Exhibition", U of A, Extension Gallery, Edmonton, AB
1992 "Artist In Wilderness", Provincial Museum of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
1991 "Visions", Alberta Society of Artist, Japan Tour, Edmonton, AB
1990 "View From Alberta", Muttart Art Gallery, Alberta Tour
1989 "Winter Shadows", Kensington Fine Art Gallery, Calgary, AB
1987 "Scenes From Alberta", Tomakomai Gallery, Kokkaido Minato Gallery, Ginza, Japan
1986 "Royal Institute of Painting in Watercolour and Federation of Canada Artists Travelling Show, Vancouver,BC., Seattle, Washington, London, England
1984 TH Morgan Fine Art, Edmonton, AB
1983 Oppertshauser Gallery, Stony Plain, AB
1981 "Land And Floral", Fireweed Gallery, Edmonton, AB

Selected Public and Corporate Collections

Alberta Foundation for the Arts
Alberta Culture, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canadian Western Bank
Cross Cancer Institute Edmonton, AB
Edmonton Journal, Edmonton, AB
Alberta House, Hong Kong
Misericordia Hospital, Edmonton, AB
Stony Plain Multicultural Heritage Centre, Stony Plain, AB
Suncor Corporation
TELUS
University of Alberta, Health
Sciences Centre, Edmonton, AB

Artist Statement

Life is like a river – a tiny stream flows toward the ocean, then evaporates, becomes rain, nurturing all matter.  The process of creative painting is like a journey through a river.

Although I am known for developing dye painting on rice paper, a studio technique, my primary work is done on location in watercolour and pencil sketch.

Despite the physical and visual demands, nothing can replace the sense of wholeness nature provides – the smell, sound and tranquility.

When I concentrate on painting, I am completely absorbed in my surroundings – then my mind and nature become one. What more can I ask?  

“The qualities of simplification, decorativeness and serenity are the most salient forces influencing Japanese art throughout its history”, states David Kung in the contemporary artist in Japan (1966).