RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- A new art museum has opened near the Vancouver International Airport in Canada. The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art has a narrow focus, exhibiting predominantly the work of Japanese artists who have never exhibited outside Japan. All paintings are on loan from the artists, who live and work in Japan.
At present the gallery, which only started operating at the beginning of this year, features the paintings of over 40 artists, ranging from small acrylics on beechwood panels to large oil canvases. The subjects of the paintings are mostly Japan, Japanese people and Japanese culture, making a visit to this art museum similar to a short visit to Japan. Rufus Lin is a Canadian painter, author, composer, pianist and singer. He is also chief designer at Rufus Lin Designs, a luxury goods company that imports European wristwatches into North America and Japan.
Starting with his early education, in the early 1980s, in visual art and Japanese film at the Faculty of Fine Arts, York University, Toronto, and his subsequent studies under a sumi-e (Japanese brush ink painting) master, followed by years of experience as a translator, in both English-Japanese and Japanese-English directions, Rufus Lin has taken a deep interest in certain specific areas of Japanese culture, particularly painting, linguistics and music.
In recent years, he has been actively working on various art, design and music recording projects both in Vancouver and Tokyo, and has been known to perform a set or two at small jazz clubs in Tokyo. His design collaboration on the Rufus Gerard Lacus Temporis with a major Japanese watch manufacturer has earned critical accolades from various magazines. His CD of piano improvisations, entitled "8 Japanese Women", breaks new ground by tying each piece of music to a work of fiction written by the performer.
In addition to exhibitions of his paintings in Tokyo and Vancouver, Rufus Lin has pioneered an innovative concept by producing miniature paintings ("art letters") on small beechwood panels, for use as long lasting greeting cards. The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art is by far his most ambitious endeavor.
Earlier work by Rufus Lin includes several photography collections, the critically acclaimed novel "Trout Rising Again", and the string symphony "Good Friday".
Rufus Lin's paintings and art letters may be viewed at the Rufus Lin Studio web site. The imported European watches mentioned above may be viewed and purchased online at Rufus Lin Designs.
Among the works on display is "The Dancing Girl", a detailed acrylic gouache painting by Yuuiti Miyakawa, Best National Costume award winner at the Miss Universe pageant 2006. Another is Reiko Kameyama, specialist in "nihonga", a uniquely Japanese art form involving finely painted lines and vivid colors using special pigments.
The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art is a philanthropic venture by Canadian painter, musician and author, Rufus Lin. Its mission is to exhibit jury-selected paintings by talented Japanese artists, regardless of track record, with explanations of the paintings in English. The gallery's proximity to Vancouver International Airport makes it possible for visitors from all over the world to view the work of many contemporary painters from across Japan at a single location.
Unlike commercial galleries, which are really retail stores selling art, the Rufus Lin Gallery is an art museum that displays fine art, and there are no price tags on the paintings. Admission is free
