We're so happy to have Risa Iwasaki Culbertson back in the RD gallery this Fall! Her show, Friends of Mine, opens September 25th with an opening reception that night from 6-8pm. RSVP at our Partiful link!
About the Show: "The last time I saw my grandma Iwasaki, in a brief moment when the fog lifted from her eyes, she told me, “When I think of you and you think of me it means our hearts are connected. No time, space, or distance matters.” In the moment, it was words between us but since then, have felt its reach far beyond and in many connections throughout the years.
Friendships change naturally for various reasons or seemingly none at all. Things happen, time passes, people move, schedules become impossible to coordinate but, there are those friendships lucky enough to be able to grow together through eras, evolutions, milestones, and losses. These are the steadfast friends you know historic and strange details about, who always seem to have the door open to welcome you back home.
In the midst of creating this body of work, a friend of 28 years suddenly passed. The days after have been flooded with images of the eyes I’ve been looking into for decades, the creases seasoned from the irreverent smirk that had been there since we were teens, and the endless long conversations we had. I found myself back in this friendship in a strong and confounding way. This collection is a celebration of deep friendships, aging, and the passing of time with those we cherish. A study of the journey of our relationships with ourselves, our world, and the heart connections that time, space, and distance cannot sever."
About the Artist: Risa Iwasaki Culbertson is a multimedia artist, illustrator, and owner of Papa Llama; a playful stationery company based out of San Francisco. Biracial and born in Japan, she grew up creating art as a way to bridge the gap between her two worlds. Inspired by the healing and connective power of humor and play, she creates her wacky, whimsical, and colorful work as a way to process grief, deep emotions, and create a place of belonging.
Risa is constantly experimenting with a wide variety of mediums including paper art, felting, sculpting, illustration, stop-motion animation, and more. Her artwork is all about being playful as a way to recharge the creative spirit and find ways to stay connected to those we love.
Her work can be found in stores nationwide through her stationery company, Papa Llama, galleries, and workshops.
Risa will also have a workshop at Rare Device during the run of her show. For first dibs on tickets, sign up for our newsletter at the bottom of our homepage.