アメリカで生まれ育った子どもたちが日本語と接するきっかけは、日本語補習校の存在だった。
毎週土曜日に、日本式のお弁当を作って、送り出す。
その数時間でも障がいを持った長女のお世話が大変で、私はなかなかママ友と交流ができなかった。
そんな私に、気軽に声をかけてくれたのが、次男のクラスのママ友だった。
なかでも綾音さんは、あまりにも自然に、壁を作らずに、私をその輪に巻き込んでくださった。
鞍井綾音さん、私と同じ歳だけれど、渡米時期は10年以上先輩だった。
彼女がアーティストということを知り、以前グループ展にお邪魔したことがあったけれど、
一連の作品をゆっくり、こんなにも贅沢に、拝観させていただいたのは、初めてのことだった。
私の母が他界したのと同じ頃に、彼女もご両親を順に亡くされていた。
遠く離れた母国、日本への想いは限りなく大きいけれど、彼らが永遠に旅立っていった後は、
心の中に残る「星」として、むしろ自分のすぐそばにいてくれるのだと勇気づけられる。
大胆な色彩、ペインティングナイフで質感豊かな層を重ねるという技法。
彼女の原点、音楽とも重なる日常、描き上げた後にタイトルを付けるのだというけれど、
日常生活の中に宿る感情や人間性が、キャンバスいっぱいに広がって圧倒される。
力強さの中に優しさが溢れる作品を観た後、とても満たされた心でギャラリーを後にした。
彼女が、戦後の前衛美術グループ「具体美術協会」の村上三郎氏に師事していたと伺い、
既存の枠組みを解体するという精神が、彼女の日常的な大らかさに繋がっているのだと実感した。
1999年ジョーン・ミッチェル財団のグランド受賞。
2003年ブラジルのバイーア州立近代美術館で大きく取り上げられ、
東京、名古屋、神戸、ニューヨークでも展示されている彼女の作品。
ニューヨークの展示会は5日3日（日)までです！
AYANE KURAI
Journey with ths Stars
4/14/2026 -5/3/2026
at : gallery onetwentyeight
128 Rivington Street, New York, NY10002
For children born and raised in the United States, their first encounter with the Japanese language often comes through the existence of Japanese supplementary schools.
Every Saturday, I prepared traditional Japanese bento boxes and sent my kids off to attend.
Even during those few hours, caring for my eldest daughter—who has a disability—was such a demanding task that I rarely had the opportunity to socialize with other mothers.
It was during this time that fellow moms from my second son’s class reached out to me with genuine warmth and ease.
Among them, Ayane stood out; she drew me into their circle so naturally—without ever putting up a barrier—that it felt completely effortless.
Ayane Kurai is the same age as I am, yet she arrived in the U.S. over ten years before I did.
Having learned that she was an artist, I had previously visited one of her group exhibitions;
however, this was the very first time I had the privilege of viewing a comprehensive body of her work so slowly and—what felt like—so luxuriously.
Around the same time that my own mother passed away, Ayane-san, too, lost both of her parents in succession.
While our longing for our distant homeland—Japan—remains boundless, we find solace and courage in the belief that, now that they have embarked on their eternal journey, our loved ones remain right by our side—lingering in our hearts like guiding stars.
Bold colors; a technique involving the layering of richly textured strokes applied with a palette knife.
Her work resonates with her artistic roots—and with her daily life, which is deeply intertwined with music. Although she tells me she typically assigns titles to her pieces only after they are completed,
the emotions and humanity embedded within her everyday existence radiate across the entire canvas, creating an overwhelming and immersive experience.
After gazing upon works that exude both immense power and overflowing tenderness, I left the gallery with a heart filled with deep contentment.
Upon learning that she had studied under Saburo Murakami—a member of the post-war avant-garde art collective "Gutai Art Association"—I realized that the spirit of deconstructing existing frameworks is deeply reflected in the open-hearted, unpretentious nature she embodies in her daily life.
Recipient of the 1999 Grand Award from the Joan Mitchell Foundation.
Featured prominently in 2003 at the Art Moderna in Bahia, Brazil.
Her works have been exhibited in Tokyo, Nagoya, Kobe, and New York. The exhibition in New York runs until Saturday, May 3rd!
AYANE KURAI
Journey with ths Stars
4/14/2026 -5/3/2026
at : gallery onetwentyeight
128 Rivington Street, New York, NY10002
