“The exhibit I am still looking at the same sky no matter where I am, explores the internal struggle between my Japanese roots and life in the United States. This phrase represents my acceptance of changing/shifting identity, emphasizing that values remain constant regardless of location. My abstract creations investigate human connections and the nuances of group dynamics in the American society that surrounds me. Influenced by traditional Japanese painting, I employ a mix of Japanese and Western materials in my prints. My work in ceramics includes an unexpected embrace of imperfection.
“Cloud shapes often appear in traditional Japanese painting as the main object or the background. In my printed works, clouds become metaphors for the perspectives used in traditional Japanese painting, such as the bird’s eye view. These metaphors show show the societal differences I perceive between group and individual values in Japan and the United States, and the resulting tension.” — Yoshihiro Kitai
Yoshihiro Kitai was born in Osaka, Japan and moved to the United States in his 20’s. He studied and focused on ceramics before coming to the U.S. He holds an MFA in Printmaking and Drawing from Washington University, St. Louis, MO and a BFA in Printmaking from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Portland, OR, where he is currently an associate professor in the printmaking department. In his work, Kitai mixes a Western style of abstraction and a Japanese style of composition and materials, conceptually focusing on his perspective as a foreigner in the United States. His works are in several public and private collections, including Hallie Ford Museum of Art, Multnomah County Courthouse, Oregon Health and Science University, Nomura Bank in London. Kitai’s art has been reviewed in several publications including: The Oregonian, Art Ltd. Magazine, Willamette Week, Portland Mercury and Oregon ArtsWatch.