Life in the city

Our taxi found the Japanese Ambassador's residence a bit early so we strolled up and down Nebraska Avenue eagerly waiting for the evening to begin.  The November air was crisp but warm enough to enjoy the walk.  Just before 6PM the modern wrought iron gates to the residence opened.  After checking our invitations and IDs we were allowed to walk down a perfectly manicured path to the entrance.  The public entrance expanded into a ballroom of light wood panels reaching from the soothingly pale carpets to the white ceiling 25 feet above.  The room was brightly lit with the most delicate chandelier that ran the length of the room.  We sipped wine with other invitees, chatting about the films we had seen over the past year at the Japan Information and Cultural Center (JICC), and gazed out into the garden in the center of the complex.  We had been transported to Japan.  It was a special night.

Exactly at 6:30, doors on the inside wall opened.  We were ushered into another slightly smaller room with ~100 other guests of the Ambassador.  He warmed the room as he welcomed us.  The backdrop was a massive Japanese screen covered in gold cloth.  It's subtle circle pattern revealed itself as the lights dimmed  and the evening's speaker Artist Koji Kinutani took the stage, his art displayed on a large screen on our left. 

Kinutani is a fascinating man.  He takes Japanese art to a new place working in gesso, the tradition of Leonardo De Vinci and other Italian greats.  He translates traditional themes into modern paintings that tell stories in symbols.  His command of Italian and French failed him with this audience so he spoke in Japanese, having a translator communicate his words to us.  Some of the audience knew Japanese so they laughed a bit ahead of the rest of us.  It was fun to be so engaged.  Kinutani reveled in our excitement.  Like our artist friend Judy Southerland, he does a lot of work with children, helping them learn expression through making pictures.  And, like our friend Judy, he gets great satisfaction and pleasure from working with young people.

We finished the evening with a sushi buffet and a pleasant thank-you and handshakes with the Mr. Kinutani and the Ambassador.  Life in the big city is good!