An Artist Inspired by Nature
Mineo Mizuno in front of his site-specific sculpture Homage to Nature. Image courtesy of the artist. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
When visitors encounter Homage to Nature—a monumental sculpture crafted from charred timber by Japanese American artist Mineo Mizuno, on view in The Huntington’s Stroll Garden—they see a meditation on nature, the effects of the elements and wildfire, and the promise of renewal. They also witness the manifestation of an enduring friendship between Mizuno and longtime Huntington supporters Kelly Sutherlin McLeod and Steven McLeod.
This relationship, which spans nearly four decades, began in 1986 with an art commission. At the time, Kelly, an architect, and Steven, an engineer, were introduced to Mizuno’s work by Steven’s sister Deborah McLeod, now senior director at Gagosian Beverly Hills. Soon after, they met the artist in his studio.
“When we first saw Mineo’s studio and experienced the tremendous range of his work, we were immediately drawn to the unique beauty of his ceramics and his masterful use of glaze,” Steven recalled.
That meeting sparked a connection that deepened over the years. The McLeod and Mizuno families formed a close bond. When Mizuno and his wife, Minako, sold their Los Angeles home of 42 years, the McLeods offered them studio space at their Sierra Nevada ranch. Within a few years, the McLeods added living quarters, and by 2016, the Mizunos became full-time residents at the ranch.
“We’d always envisioned the ranch as a center for creativity,” Kelly said. “So, when Mineo was looking for a new studio, we were delighted to invite him to live and work as an artist in residence and pursue his artistic vision.”
Through their shared love of the arts, the McLeods have created a nurturing environment where artistic excellence flourishes.
Kelly and Steven McLeod in front of Mineo Mizuno’s Homage to Nature. Photo by Jamie Pham. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Nature as Muse
The Mizunos’ move to the ranch marked a new chapter in Mineo’s creative journey. Surrounded by forest and a flowing river, he found new and powerful inspiration in the elements—wind, water, land, and trees.
“You can still see the blackened bark from fires in the 1950s,” Mineo said. “And the trees are still standing. In nature, fire isn’t merely destructive—it’s also part of the life cycle.”
That insight inspired Homage to Nature, which he created from wind-fallen, 100-year-old oak trees preserved through yakisugi, the traditional Japanese technique of charring wood. Now part of The Huntington’s gardens, the installation embodies themes of ecological renewal, memory, and resilience.
“Mineo’s work reflects a ‘One Huntington’ approach that bridges art, nature, and cultural history,” said Kelly, who serves on the Board of Governors and chairs the Buildings and Grounds Committee. “Homage to Nature is a perfect instance of this.”
Mizuno’s visionary sculpture—created before the most recent wildfires in Southern California— resonates now more than ever.
A Shared Vision
Mizuno’s relationship with The Huntington began more than 20 years ago, when his elegant ceramic sculpture Teardrop with Calligraphy “Zero,” inspired by the fluidity of water, entered the permanent collection. Since then, his work has continued to enrich the dialogue between art and nature on the institution’s grounds.
Mineo Mizuno, Teardrop with Calligraphy “Zero,” 2010. Purchased with funds provided by The Boardman Family Foundation, Linda Dickason, Margery and Maurice Katz, Steven and Kelly McLeod Family Foundation, Shula Nazarian, Lois and Richard Neiter, Mineo Mizuno, and Sue Tsao. © Mineo Mizuno. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
Homage to Nature is the fifth work by Mizuno to be exhibited at The Huntington. Previous works exhibited at the Huntington Art Museum include Nest, created from deadfall manzanita branches gathered in the Sierra Nevada foothills; Thousand Blossoms, ceramic dogwood blooms modeled after the first blooms of spring at the ranch; and Komorebi - light of forest, which features ceramic dogwood blooms placed near two 19th-century terracotta figures originally carved for the Tuileries Garden in Paris.
When The Huntington offered to relocate the antique sculptures to accommodate Komorebi and Thousand Blossoms, Mizuno asked that they remain.
“There was a beautiful, quiet connection,” Kelly said. “The positioning of the antique figures was gently adjusted in response to Mineo’s blossoms. It became a poetic dialogue.”
Thousand Blossoms. Mineo Mizuno. Ceramic. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian Gallery. The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens.
A Living Legacy
As the McLeods look to the future, their Sierra Nevada ranch continues to serve as both a family home and a haven for creativity and reflection.
“The Mizunos are family,” said Steven. “And we love that Mineo’s art continues to grow from this land. Our children’s lifelong relationship with the Mizuno family has shaped their understanding and appreciation of art as a response to nature.”
“Mineo sees and creates beauty out of everything he touches—even the simplest of materials,” Kelly added.
Whether at the ranch, in Los Angeles, or now at The Huntington, Mizuno’s work reflects the environments that inspire him and invites viewers to deepen their own connection to nature.
“I think about nature and landscape,” Mizuno said. “Nature teaches us everything—if we pay attention.”