For hundreds of years the alchemists toiled away in their secret labs concocting chemicals and pigments they hoped would turn metal to gold. But for Miya Ando, the New York-based artist who’s a descendant of Bizen sword makers, she’s found her own way to make metals shine.
Using a combination of heat, sandpaper, grinders and acid, Ando “paints” her metallic canvases by “irrevocably altering the material’s chemical properties.” Ando’s new series, phenomenon, builds on her past work of producing light-reflecting gradients on metal but adds an element of interaction: the surfaces appear to change based on light and movement of the viewer.
In addition, Ando is also presenting a new series titled kintsugi. Inspired by Japan’s ancient craft of repairing broken ceramics using gold lacquer, Ando has turned her shou-sugi-ban, a charred wood often used as an exterior building material, into a canvas. Delicate gold kintsugi lined the cracks of the charred wood, as if gold light was emanating from the structure.
Ando’s solo exhibition The Nature of Perception is on display at Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Chelsea, New York through July 1, 2016.
Giveaway
We have 3 copies of Miya Ando’s latest portfolio book to giveaway. And each comes with an insert of her gorgeous business card made from skeleton leaves of a Bodhi tree. The giveaway is open to anyone, anywhere. Here’s how you can win a copy:
- Leave a comment below
- Have a look at our studio visit we did, and check out our shop where we sell Ando’s tetsu to kinu scarf
- We’ll choose 3 random winners at the end of the week on Saturday, June 18th
- That’s it!
June 14, 2016 at 2:44 pm
Amazingly beautiful! Thank you so much for introducing her.
June 14, 2016 at 4:31 pm
Beautiful! I love the minimalist aesthetic.
June 14, 2016 at 8:51 pm
Truly unique and transformative!
June 14, 2016 at 9:47 pm
I really love the colors and the textures of the paintings <3
June 14, 2016 at 9:48 pm
Love your work! My friend got me into it 😀
June 14, 2016 at 9:48 pm
I love this so much!!!
June 14, 2016 at 10:22 pm
Such unique and beautiful works of art!
June 14, 2016 at 10:28 pm
Your work is so unique!
June 14, 2016 at 11:59 pm
Stunning! .. As always 🙂
June 15, 2016 at 12:11 am
Very simple yet interesting to look at! Sugoi!
June 15, 2016 at 4:59 am
The exhibition looks marvelous, would’ve loved to see it.
June 15, 2016 at 5:06 am
Her art is so inspiring! I’ve had an art block for a while and reading this made my day!
June 15, 2016 at 10:40 am
Wow!
June 15, 2016 at 12:57 pm
The Kintsugi works are very intriguing to me, and the metallic works are very innovative in my mind. I love the way that they look like an ocean horizon.
June 15, 2016 at 6:49 pm
The charred wood is quite striking, beautiful even.
June 15, 2016 at 10:09 pm
I love the feeling of serenity in her work.
June 16, 2016 at 5:09 am
Beautiful works! hope to get a chance to view it !
June 16, 2016 at 4:14 pm
Amazing artwork!
June 17, 2016 at 2:56 am
Thanks for the introduction! What beautiful works of science and art!
June 17, 2016 at 11:49 am
Amazing artwork, hope to see it in real life.
June 18, 2016 at 10:40 am
That looks like it would make an incredible coffee table book.
June 18, 2016 at 3:11 pm
Wonderful paintings! Absolutely lovely! Tanoshinda!
June 18, 2016 at 7:18 pm
I’ve been thinking about Ando-san’s work since her newest show came out. Such peace and balance and delicacy to them. I love the dyed metal plates. Her studio was amazing, I always wondered what the studio of a metalworker looks like. And the Q&A is so cute. Miya Ando is a fascinating person.
June 20, 2016 at 9:40 am
Thanks to everyone for participating. And congrats to Sally, Stephen Fraser and George Okuno, who will be receiving a copy of Miya Ando’s portfolio book. We’ll be in touch to get your shipping address.
Love you all!
team spoon & tamago