Interconnected: ABSC Fine Arts
The ABSC is proud to present Buddhist and Japanese-Inspired Fine Art featuring paintings, drawings, collages, sculptures, ceramics, and photography by eminent artists:
Auguste Elder, George Hirose, Ken Horii, Seikou Kaneko (aka Toshiko Takao), Tom Masuda, and Edythe Vassall.
Artwork from the collection of Duke Jones is also included.
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Auguste Elder
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Auguste Elder studied pottery independently in Philadelphia, Paris, and New York City and has been working for more than 30-years in and around New York City. He has been a visiting artist at Salem Art Works (SAW) since 2015. His pottery is in the permanent collections of the New York Public Library and The American Buddhist Study Center. Elder and his wife Lisa Chan co-founded “Cha Bay Fine Teas & Rough Wares”. He teaches art full time at The Calhoun School in Manhattan, NY, and is represented by Cavin-Morris Gallery in Chelsea, NYC
George Hirose
George Hirose is an artist, photographer, educator, Asian-American activist, and film producer. George recently retired from over 30 years of teaching at Pratt Institute, NY and has since dedicated himself to fine art photography and social-justice themed documentary films. His fine art photographs have been exhibited in many one-person and group shows nationally and abroad. The work presented in this exhibition, from the series “Midnight in the People’s Garden”, is a deeply connected outgrowth of his long commitment to volunteer work in NYC’s Lower East Side Community Gardens. As a professional photographer, he has also had a career documenting works of art, exhibition installations, events, and public programming for various non profit organizations in New York City, including the Japan Society, the Noguchi Museum, the Whitney Museum of American Art, and the Henry Street Settlement. Mr. Hirose is also involved in many Asian-American community oriented activities, including serving on the board of the JAA (Japanese American Association) of NY and the JACL (Japanese American Citizens League) NY Chapter, having served as chapter president of that organization for many years.
​Ken Horii
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Ken Horii is a professor emeritus of Spatial Dynamics in the Experimental and Foundation Studies Division at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. His work has been exhibited nationally- in New England, New York, and Chicago in commercial and academic galleries and corporate spaces, and in special exhibitions in South Korea and forthcoming in China. His work is in corporate, museum, and private collections in Chicago, Boston, and New York.
Seikou Kaneko (aka Toshiko Takao)
Master Seikou Kaneko was born in 1922 in Fukuoka, Japan. She has been an educator for 28 years teaching music and other subjects. At the same time has studied the calligraphy. She was taught Kana by Suishi Uenishi, and studied Hyakunin Isshu. She came to New York at age of 60 and founded Seikou Shodou Calligraphy Class. The master has been actively teaching more than hundreds students since then. 8 Dan in Kanji and Kan
Tom Matsuda
Thomas Matsuda lived in Japan for thirteen years where he apprenticed with the sculptor, Koukei Eri. His outdoor sculptures are in sculpture parks, parks, and universities. He has exhibited in Latvia, South Korea, UK, Qatar, Egypt, Germany, Bejing, Hungary, Rumania, India, and Japan. He was awarded grants including from the Gottlieb Foundation, US Embassy, Japan Foundation, and Ford Foundation. Thomas taught for eight years at Pratt Institute and currently teaches at Mount Wachusett Community College as Art Depart. Chair, and College of New Rochelle Graduate School. He has a BFA from Pratt Institute and MFA from UMass, Amherst. His work deals with the integration of art, social change, and spirituality. He synthesizes eastern and western ideas in a contemporary approach and he carves traditional Buddhist sculptures.
Edythe Vassall
Originally from Brooklyn, New York, Edythe Vassall has a bachelor’s degree in art education from New York University. She is a photographer, writer, editor, translator, musician, and artist. Ms. Vassall came to Buddhism through Japanese art and culture. She has edited several Japanese-to-English translations of books on Shin Buddhism, as well as the supertitles for the Zenshinza Theatre Company’s debut U.S. tour performance of Honen and Shinran, presented in 2010 by Cal Performances at Zellerbach Hall. This year, she was a top-ten semi-finalist in the KTA Gift Card Photo Contest for Hawaii’s Big Island. Ms. Vassall has taught creative card making classes at Kamana Senior Center in Hilo. She has studied calligraphy (oshuuji) since 2006, and exhibited in the “Calligraphies in Conversation” Second International Exhibition, produced by the Ziya Art Center in Oakland, California in 2015.​
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Duke Jones
Duke Jones attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, studying music and film. Like most artists; prior to his commercial success, he worked the New York club circuit, i.e., Fat Tuesday’s, Metropolis, Birdland, etc. In the late 70’s, Duke had the privileged opportunity to study traditional Island Rhythms, Calypso and Soca at the University of Virgin Islands with then Professor Larry McCleallan who went on to serve as Dean at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston.
With influences such as Kenny Dorham, Woody Shaw, Lee Morgan, Benny Bailey, Hugh Masekela and of course, Miles Davis, all of whom helped shape Duke’s trumpet voice. Duke went on to tour Japan, Europe and Africa, working with established musicians such as The Temptations, Angela Bofill, Larry Coryell and Marion Meadows. He began collaborating and recording with such artists as August Darnell of Kid Creole and the Coconuts, and drummer, producer Norman Connors, serving as an original member of his Starship Orchestra and spin-off group Aquarian Dream on Buddha Records. After joining the Starship Orchestra, Duke toured the world performing in all major American cities during a six-month tour. Then performing at the Montreux Jazz festival with Norman Connors and Pharaoh Sanders. Recording the live classic album “Beyond A Dream “for Clive Davis Arista records. Going on to record several albums for Arista over the years for Norman Connors with vocalist Phyliss Hyman. Duke Jones was the original co-founder of the world-famous R&B supergroup “Atlantic Starr “. Which they recorded several gold and platinum albums in the 80s and 90s. The groups first two albums recorded in 1977 at Bell Sound studios New York under the name NEWBAN have become worldwide cult classics.
All artwork images are the copyright of these artists