Petals in the Wind, Feathers on the Moon
Hi there. Things are more than a little overwhelming right now. I doubt that there’s a person in this small world of ours who hasn’t been affected by COVID-19. I hope that you, your family, friends, and loved ones are taking care of yourselves, wherever on the globe you are right now. Maybe for the first time in our lifetimes, we really are all in this together.
In all the noise and clamor, the upending of routines and the uncertainty of the future, I’ve been trying to find a little calm and comfort in family and friends, along with whatever nuggets of stability and normalcy that turn up.
Yesterday, March 25, 2020, the Kachofugetsu Exhibition 「花鳥風月展」opened at Arts Rush Gallery, Daikanyama. It’s more than a little amazing to me that the exhibition is going on. That may not be the case for much longer, given this evening’s news out of Tokyo. If you’d been considering stopping by the gallery, please make sure to prioritize your own wellbeing. Stay safe.
Regardless of the situation, I’m honored to have my papery works hanging alongside that of 9 other talented makers and creators, all with vastly different ways of seeing the world.
As is often the case with out-of-town shows, I can’t be there in-person to meet the collectors and art lovers, or artists.
This time Tokyo seems even further away than usual and my reasons for staying home are more immediate.
So far, Japan seems to have been hit less hard by the virus than the rest of the world. There are a dozen theories why that might be, but I can’t speak to those.
Schools and large venues closed at the end of February and remain closed. They still plan on reopening them in a couple weeks when the new school year starts, but I’m not counting on that. Most restrictions involved children, with libraries, community centers, museums, etc. closed to anyone under 18. Otherwise, we’ve been lucky to avoid the lockdowns which have shaken so much of the rest of the world.
Even the toilet paper shortages seem to have been rectified, at least near where I’m living. Masks and hand sanitizer are still hard to find.
The first case of COVID-19 appeared in Japan back on January 16, but either through luck or aggressive countermeasures, the spread has been steady but slow. With warmer weather this past weekend, there was a feeling that, just maybe, life would be moving back towards normal.
The sudden spread in Tokyo makes me wonder.
Thank you to everyone who has asked me about my own personal health and experiences over the last few months.
I don’t really feel terribly comfortable talking about my personal life, so I’m going to keep it brief and just say that in the first months of this year I’ve had bronchitis (with a touch of asthma). After unexpected flights back and forth to the US at the end of January due to a death in the family, I came down with pneumonia. Everyone asks the same question, and all I can say is that my doctors treated me with antibiotics and my lungs cleared up. So, as far as I know, no, there’s no connection to the virus. I’m healthy now, as is my family.
Due to the school closings - which include nursery schools but not daycare - I’ve been spending a lot of unexpected time with my 3-year old daughter. It’s been illuminating, and she manages to distract me from a lot of my anxieties (as well as work). She really helps with priorities.
Also, I’ve learned an awful lot about Disney Princesses. And Oshiri Tantei 「おし りたんてい」( 1 • 2 ) which kids here love and really has to be seen to be believed.
Stay safe and take care.
