Yumiko Hirokawa

During and after the tragic events of 9/11, I was a student of the Corcoran College of Art and Design in Washington, DC.

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To commemorate the loss and sadness we experienced several fellow students and I did a mural size drawing on a wall of the campus.

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When we finished the drawing, after many hours of work, we lit candles and prayed for world peace. 

 

I realized now that 9/11 made a deep impression on me and became the guiding inspiration for my work.

 

My work embodies two pillars, one, a record of a moment in modern society. The other, a prayer for the many people who have suffered from disasters and conflicts around the world.

 

By painting scenes of beauty, rather than images of chaos and darkness, I present to the viewer an uplifting vision of reality, not what is seen in the world around us, but something visible only in the mind’s eye.

 

The use of silver pigment and silver leaf in my work represents my effort to create an untarnished world.

 

My hope is that my art will, in some small way, contribute to world peace.