HOMARE IKEDA

HOMARE IKEDA

HOMARE IKEDA

To painter Homare Ikeda, a blank paper can be a breath of the infinite. “As I make marks on paper, I am aware and not aware of the forms emerging. The forms and marks interact with each other. I feel they are voices trying to signify something.” Perhaps it takes the unique perspective of a childhood spent on a small island to see the infinite guises of the world in which we live; Ikeda’s unique skill is in his translation of these reflections onto the blank canvas from which, it could be said, all life begins.

In Ikeda’s paintings – watercolor paintings referred to as ‘mixed media paintings’ since pen and ink are often added – there is a playfulness to the artist’s sensitive lines and seed-like forms, even as the images appear almost primordial in impression.

Born on the subtropical island of Yoron, near Okinawa, Japan, Ikeda spent his childhood exploring the island and the coral reefs surrounding it; after high school, he left his small island world to explore Japan and India. Ikeda had no exposure to the world of fine arts but was interested nonetheless, teaching himself Oriental brush painting by copying pictures out of books and later becoming interested in contemporary art. In 1978, he moved to the United States. The artist credits a college professor in Stockton, California for setting him on the right artistic path. “He was a wonderful art professor; he spent all his energy on his teaching.” This same professor guided Ikeda to the University of Colorado at Boulder, where he received both a BFA and MFA. Today, the artist teaches both drawing and painting while continuing to show his work in group and solo shows and expand his base of collectors.

Ikeda’s work can be linked to classic Abstract Expressionism and to the later Neo-Expressionism, but it’s difficult to see any traditional influence of Japanese painting. “My line, to me, is very Oriental,” the artist observes, “and the way I compose forms is Oriental, too.” This blending of East and West gives Ikeda’s paintings their unique look; a look that evokes an innocent time and yet is surprisingly revelatory when examined up close.

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The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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HART JAMES

HART JAMES

HART JAMES

Hart James explores the inherent connection between the individual and their home, the Earth. With a deep knowledge of the Northwest Mystics. She paints in an abstract manner to carry this tradition forward to the present. James’s work speaks of the energy of nature—the current of the water, the flow of the air over us, and the rock formations that form the foundation under our feet. Using oil, and charcoal, every painting is an attempt to reunite with an existence symbiotic with the natural world.

Hart James studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, the San Francisco Art Institute, and with Anne Truitt, Vera Berdich, and Ed Pashcke, among others. In addition she studied art history and biology at Northwestern, which has provided a strong background for her devotion to the arts. She has attended artist residencies across the country including Oxbow, Morris Graves Foundation, Seaside, and the Vermont Studio Residency.

Contact Us

The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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CLAY JOHNSON

CLAY JOHNSON

CLAY JOHNSON

Clay Johnson was born and raised in Durham, NC, where he studied art and art history at Duke University, receiving a B.A. degree in 1985. He then worked for several years as assistant to painter Robert Natkin in Connecticut and New York City. He began exhibiting paintings in 1998, mostly in New York, San Francisco, and Washington DC. After several years of painting and exhibiting, followed by a hiatus of sorts, he has recently returned to painting. Clay currently lives and works in Laramie, Wyoming.

Contact Us

The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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HEIDI JUNG

HEIDI JUNG

HEIDI JUNG

Brought up in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, Heidi Jung as an artist has naturally been drawn to a subject matter most timeless and familiar to her.

Through draughtsmanship and technique acquired over the years in both college and career, she has brought an extraordinary and authentic approach to drawing.

The ethereal effects she achieves with inks, charcoal, erasure and grattage might remind the viewer of the spontaneity of darkroom photography; indeed, photography was originally the emphasis of her arts degree before committing to drawing.

These hand-rendered effects are achieved by way of similarly unpredictable processes, and this ‘darkroom-aesthetic’ is readily seen throughout the textures and markings of her compositions.

Contact Us

The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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JEFF KAHM

JEFF KAHM

JEFF KAHM

Jeff Kahm (Kahmakoatayo) 1968 – 2021, Plains Cree, born in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada attended the Institute of American Indian Arts in 1990 to study painting and photography and soon after was awarded a painting scholarship to attend the Kansas City Art Institute where he earned a BFA in 1994. He continued graduate studies at the University of Alberta earning an MFA in painting in 1997.

In 2002, Jeff returned to New Mexico, a land that he grew to love and called home. He became a permanent resident in 2003 and soon began teaching at the Institute of American Indian Arts as a visiting faculty member. He was an associate professor at IAIA where he taught studio art courses at the intermediate and advanced levels.

His recent solo exhibitions at the Museum of Contemporary Native Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico (2012) and at Urban Shaman Contemporary Aboriginal Art in Winnipeg, Manitoba (2013) highlighted his most recent work – a striking series of small works on paper and panels and an impressive collection of large scale paintings on canvas – work he described as ‘rooted in Indigenous abstraction and Modernist aesthetics’. His work continues to reach a wider audience through various invitational and group shows nationally and internationally.

Contact Us

The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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SCARLETT KANISTANAUX

SCARLETT KANISTANAUX

 SCARLETT KANISTANAUX

Scarlett Kanistanaux is a ceramic and bronze sculptor residing and working from her studio in Erie, Colorado.

Scarlett knew she had found her calling after several experiences of seeing people moved to tears in the presence of her simple yet powerful portraits of young monks and nuns inspired by the Buddhist traditions.

“I am amazed that the monastic simplicity of an ancient culture could show up in the twenty first century, with all of its rich symbolism intact. The monks and nuns of today, adorned with the same shaved heads and modestly draped robes as their ancestors, are an enduring reminder to humanity that the practice of loving kindness, forgiveness, and compassion are as essential today as they have always been. My hope is that the portraits I sculpt would cause all of us to pause and reflect upon our own sense of soulfulness. Perhaps these quiet beings can serve to mirror our own potential for inner calm, joy and peace.”

Contact Us

The William Havu Gallery
1040 Cherokee Street
Denver, CO 80204

Telephone: 303.893.2360
Email: info@williamhavugallery.com
Fax: 303.893.2813

Open Hours

Tuesday – Friday  10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Closed on Sundays and Mondays.

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