Gallery Iolani Opening Reception: Friday, January 20, 4-7:00 p.m.
Exhibition dates: January 20 – February 14, 2012
Gallery hours: Mon.– Fri. & Sunday, 1–5 p.m.,
Located adjacent to Paliku Theatre. Reception and exhibit are free and open to public.
Phone: 236-9155
Website: www.gallery.wcc.hawaii.edu.
Renowned photographer Tom Haar will kick-off the Photo Trilogy series at a reception on Friday, January 20 from 4-7:00 p.m. with Karuizawa Dreamscape, his impressionistic view of Karuizawa, Japan: dreamlike images uniting early recollections and recent imagery.
Karuizawa Dreamscape is based on Haar's photography and research project during the summer of 2008 when he spent three months in Karuizawa on a Fulbright Grant. The impetus for his project stems from the experience of the Haar family, who were ordered to evacuate to Karuizawa for a three-year period during World War II from 1943-1946. Haar, who was very young at the time, has only slight recollections of these difficult years for his family. This project became a way for Haar to "re-discover" Karuizawa through photography, a craft that he learned from his father, Francis Haar, one of Hawaii’s most distinguished photographers.
For more information, contact Gallery Iolani Director Toni Martin at 236-9150.
The following is an excerpt from the artist.
"The name KARUIZAWA is one familiar with most Japanese
as a summer resort. During World War II this town in the
highlands of Nagano Prefecture northwest of Tokyo
became an enclave for the majority of the foreign residents
of Japan. Those who were ordered to evacuate to this town,
including our family, endured years of hardship, especially
with the numbing cold winters and meager rations.
As I was still a toddler, there is very little I am able to recollect
from the three years (1943-1946) which our family spent in
Karuizawa, aside from a few events from our final year there.
“Winter in Karuizawa was long and cold, which made it difficult
to grow vegetables throughout the year. Fortunately, there was
a small stream nearby where watercress grew - a valuable food,
which I used in many ways. I also became a diligent follower of
horses, gathering their manure to enrich the vegetable garden.”
- from my mother’s memoirs, included in the book
“Francis Haar: A Lifetime of Images”
During the summer of 2008, I spent three months “re-discovering”
this town, researching its history and documenting images of this
heavily wooded environment.
This exhibition is dedicated to the resilient people of Japan."
- Tom Haar