Exhibition Information

Artist:  Kiyomi Fukui Nannery
Exhibition: Apologetic Garden
Media: Photos
Website: http://www.kiyomifukui.com/
Instagram: kiyomimiz

Kiyomi Fukui Nannery is a Japanese-American artist who lives and works in Long Beach, CA. She received an MFA in Printmaking from California State University Long Beach and a BFA in Graphic Design from La Sierra University. Through her work, she aims to channel, explore, and embrace fragility. She does so to challenge people to see beauty in things that most people do not like to face,such as insecurity and pain.

Kiyomi’s exhibition, “Apologetic Garden” doesn’t have any really smooth lines, or shape considering that it is made of plants. Most photos show lots of green, browns, and earth toned colors. Considering how large the exhibition is, you really cant see the details of it until you get to see the closer photos. When you see the photos, you’re able to see that part of the garden was composed of paper and how well the plants grew from the mix of soil and paper. You are able to see the growth and after some time you are able to see the slow withering of the plants.

I enjoyed seeing how much meaning, thought and care was put behind taking care of this garden. Sometimes it takes a different approach or some help to channel something “bad” and turn it into something beautiful. It takes different approach to healing by allowing apologies, regret, and sorrow to turn into something positive. The message that apologies and guilt can grow into something meaningful and beautiful was very easily relaid through the images. I enjoyed examining the plants and seeing them grow from paper and evolving into something beautifully different. Seeing how the plants grew, lived, and then died, was very humbling and made me appreciate and come to peace within each stage of life.

This garden helped me accept the negatives in life, but instead of letting them manifest, I should find a positive from it and utilize it as a way to help me grow. I appreciate that the exhibition is an actual garden. I am a nature enthusiast, so seeing these beautiful plants grow from negativity really allowed me to appreciate Kiyomi’s message. Recently, I have had a hard time finding myself and it seems that my spark has slowly faded away, but the garden has given me hope that better days are to come. With patience and care, I can manifest and take gentle care of myself, and when that stage of growth comes to an end, I will be able to look back and appreciate the beauty that grew from negative circumstances.