Takeshi Shikama: Silent Respiration of Forests



Takeshi Shikama, Toyosawa Lake 1, 2009, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Please join us Saturday, October 23, from 6 – 8 p.m. for the opening of Takeshi Shikama: Silent Respiration of Forests. The exhibition will run through November 27, 2010. The artist will be in attendance for the opening reception, and the book, Silent Respiration of the Forests, by Takeshi Shikama will be available for purchase.  A booksigning and preview of the exhibition will take place on Friday, October 22, from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m.



Takeshi Shikama, Landscape 30, 2010, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Takeshi Shikama was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1948. After attending Aoyama Gakuin University, he pursued a career in the field of design. Shikama began photographing, and in 2002 he began to explore the forests of Japan as the subject of his photography. The product of his exploration resulted in beautifully hand-crafted platinum prints on gampi, which capture the darkly printed tones and highlights on the delicate Japanese paper.



Takeshi Shikama, Mt. Chyokai 23, 2004, platinum and palladium print on gampi

 Shikama’s attraction to the forest began when he was building a cabin in the woods with his own hands. As he was clearing the land and chopping down the trees, sap accumulated on his ax and Shikama saw the sap as the blood of the tree. As a result Shikama began to see the forest as a living organism. He began traveling to different forests in Japan to capture the images the forest allowed him to take. He is drawn to these wooded locations because of the power Shikama feels the forests exude.



Takeshi Shikama, Mt. Takamaru 5, 2010, platinum and palladium print on gampi

Takeshi Shikama’s work has been shown in various countries in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is held in public and private collections around the world.  This will be Takeshi Shikama's first solo exhibition at John Cleary Gallery.  Come by the gallery to experience these works for yourself!

Isa Leshko at Houston Arts Alliance

John Cleary Gallery’s own Isa Leshko will have her first solo exhibition in Houston at the Houston Arts Alliance, in conjunction with Houston Center for Photography, entitled Thrills and Chills. The opening reception for Thrills and Chills will be held at the Alliance Gallery, Houston Arts Alliance, 3201 Allen Parkway, Houston, TX on Thursday, October 14, from 6 – 8 p.m. The exhibition will run through December 31, 2010 and will be accompanied by a limited edition catalogue, available for purchase at the opening reception.




Isa Leshko, Point Pleasant, NJ 1, from the series Thrills and Chills
2006, gelatin silver print

 Leshko’s Thrills and Chills series consists of darkly printed black and white gelatin silver photographs. The images are scenes from amusement parks, county fairs, and along boardwalks, taken with a Holga, often considered a toy camera. Leshko uses her camera to examine her own fears and emotions, all the while depicting the range of emotions other people experience while visiting amusement parks in search of adrenaline pumping rides.



Isa Leshko, Disenchantment from the series Thrills and Chills
2010, gelatin silver print

Isa Leshko’s prints from Thrills and Chills will be available to purchase through the John Cleary Gallery.  Images from the Thrills and Chills series begin at $600.  Please call, e-mail, or come by the John Cleary Gallery to view more of Isa’s work.