Renowned artist, and OQ Farm founder / Sword & Spoon partner, Makoto Fujimura has a major new exhibit opening in New York City.  “Silence and Beauty” will be presented at Waterfall Mansion and Gallery from May 3rd through June 8th.

The show is in conjunction with the release of his much anticipated new book, Silence and Beauty: Hidden Faith Born of Suffering.  For the exhibit, Mako selected several pieces on which he worked while writing the book, including new “Silence” and “Silence and Beauty” paintings, as well as “Walking on Water,” which he painted in response to the catastrophic tsunami on March 11, 2011 that took many lives in Japan. His works are meant to create a contemplative space for all to ponder how “silence” is depicted visually.

Focusing on the silence of suffering, Mako employs the ancient Japanese traditional painting style “Nihonga” – with a refreshingly modern approach — and using mostly 17th-century Japanese materials.

Excerpt from Fujimura’s book Silence and Beauty :

“…God took me to Japan, a country of my roots, to become a Christian. Thus, my aesthetic journey overlapped with my faith journey. This book reflects on both those pilgrimages, through the lens of my encounter with Shusaku Endo’s postwar masterpiece, Silence.”

A special opening of the show on May 3rd will be followed with an artist discussion and book signing on May 5th. Other events, such as panel discussions and events are planned throughout May to highlight Mako’s work.