Centuries Apart

Mieko demonstrates this sense of mutual heritage in the figures who inhabit her paintings. “They represent the spiritual side of me. We're not sure where they came from or where they are going, but they bring a certain feeling of intrigue and mysticism,” Mieko says.

Even though her art centers around the high desert, Mieko’s inborn affinity to water finds its way into her landscapes, often as a metaphor. “Others may not recognize it, but I know it’s there. It quenches my thirst,” Mieko says. As a young child learning traditional Japanese calligraphy and Chinese brush stroke painting, Mieko could not anticipate how she would now be using these same techniques as the foundation of a bold, contemporary style.

Mieko broke with tradition when she left Japan decades ago. Today, she continues to experiment with new combinations of old patterns, evoking action, energy, and spontaneity. Her choice of colors is hardly subdued, with deep purples, burnt oranges, muaves and blues intermingled with reds, greens, and yellows.

As she continues to mature in painting and in life, Mieko finds herself feeling more remote from the safety, conformity and conservatism of her childhood, and closer to the free-spirited, risk-taking nature of her adopted homeland.