Mineo Mizuno: Homage to Nature
May 25, 2024–May 25, 2029
Stroll Garden
Translated Gallery Text:
California-based Japanese American artist Mineo Mizuno’s site-specific sculpture, titled Homage to Nature, is crafted from fallen timber gathered in the forests of the Sierra Nevada, where the artist lives and works. Views of the San Gabriel Mountains in the background frame the work.
The sculpture explores the fragility of the Earth’s ecosystem, as well as the destruction of the forest and its potential for regeneration. Homage to Nature celebrates the beauty of wood in its natural state and emphasizes its potential as a reusable and renewable resource. Using yakisugi (shou sugi), a traditional Japanese method of wood preservation known in the West as burnt timber cladding, the charred surfaces of the reclaimed timbers speak to fire’s destructive potential, while the mottled glazes on the ceramic teardrops reference its transformative power. As a companion and response to the sculpture, a “fire landscape” is planted near the sculpture to mimic new growth that occurs naturally after a fire.
This new sculpture marks the culmination of a series of installations by the artist designed to reflect on The Huntington’s collections and link the gardens and art galleries.
Mineo Mizuno: In The Huntington Art Gallery
Three striking works by California-based artist Mineo Mizuno activate The Huntington Art Gallery and its outdoor loggia to invite new ways of looking at the art collections and surrounding gardens.
Asian American Art at The Huntington
As a site for the preservation of the wide-ranging histories, cultures, and perspectives that make up the Asian American experience, The Huntington’s Art Museum has been embarking on the active collection and display of Asian American art.