Meeting Hiroko Okahashi is a delightful experience not only because of her being an artist but more importantly because of her attitude towards life.  In a beautifully decorated living room surrounded by art, so much art that we had to find place to seat ourselves, we talked about her life, her art, and where she wants to be.  

Hiroko is an unusual Japanese – in fact, she is not Japanese any more.  She has evolved into a citizen of the world.  She has her roots in Japan and still speaks English with a Japanese accent, but living in Cambridge, Massachusetts, she seems as if she belongs to the world.  In fact she has not gone to Japan for years and has no plans to return anytime soon.  She doesn’t know the reasons – she just doesn’t think it is worth flying that long.  

She was born in Japan but has lived in the United States since 1980.  During her early years in Japan, she had studied calligraphy and sumi-e (Japanese ink brush technique).  In 1981 she acquired an interest in photography at the Corcoran School of Art in Washington DC.  Her passion for photography took her to various parts of the United States, Brazil, Europe, and Japan.  Then she continued her education in photography at the School of Visual Art in New York, Harvard University, and the University of Hawaii.  The turning point came when she started to combine the centuries old techniques from Japan with modern photography.  She mixed colors with black and white to create a unique effect in her work by using silk screening techniques.

Her work has been exhibited in New York, Washington DC, Massachusetts, and Hawaii, but believe it or not, she has not exhibited in Japan. 

Hiroko’s work has evolved over time.  We were lucky enough to see the process.  The mirror is the only consistent object – the model is Hiroko.  The main message is the same – a woman in search of her lost identity.   She can be a mother raising a teenage son, a deserted wife, a lover, an artist – someone who is torn between her traditional Japanese upbringing and a liberal, intellectual surrounding of Cambridge.

Hiroko is doing an admirable job and we consider her to be one of the successful Japanese outside of Japan.  She has established herself as a highly regarded artist.  Her main goal, surprisingly, is still simple – to raise her teenage son.  She is not giving up on her artistic endeavors though.  She plans on using different media and techniques to create and invent her new art forms.  She is also hopeful that more art lovers will appreciate this fusion of photography and painting. 

Related article:  Miki Ariyama