It is my pleasure to present the second IAM Special Collection - over fifty paintings by the Japanese artist Utage Hanami, a Japanese artist living in Fukushima prefecture, northern Japan.
Hanami-san paints lush, impressionistic visions of Japan and particularly the Japanese countryside. This is the world I have lived in for more than ten years. He sees the same wind blowing through trees and the same sleeping winter cherry trees that I do and he recreates them with so much love and such a deep understanding that I would unhesitatingly show his paintings to anyone who wants to understand my personal experience in Japan.
If you are in Japan and have any opportunity to do so, I urge you to visit the Takken Civil Art Exhibition Hall in Aomori City from May 10th to 12th to see Hanami-san's works in person. As of today, May 1st, I'm also very proud to present his pieces in the Infinite Art Museum.