Volusia County Courthouse - Akiko Sugiyama

Untitled, 2001 Paper assemblage

House of Harmony, 2001 Paper assemblage

Akiko Sugiyama
Ormond Beach, Florida
Click on the images above to see larger views

Akiko Sugiyama majored in painting at Joshibi Daigaku in Tokyo. She makes a deliberate effort to form multitudes of hand-colored and hand-cut paper pieces into subtle designs that are meant to convey the more enduring human aspects of life. Japanese children’s stories and folk tales, heard in her early years, diffuse in larger works that reflect personal experiences and views of our contemporary society. Sugiyama’s work has appeared in various galleries and museums and has received recognition at major fine craft shows such as the American Craft Exposition, the Philadelphia Museum of Art Craft Show and the Smithsonian Craft Show.

“The House of Harmony is rice paper, gold leaf over rice paper, and vellum paper with watercolors and twigs. The art can be viewed as representations of houses. In our society, the warmth and security of the family at home often needs the protection of our judicial system. I prefer not to explain a work. The work is the statement.” – Akiko Sugiyama