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Noriko Hirayama

B i o Noriko’s history with art started with Japanese calligraphy when she was twelve years old. Japanese children of her generation commonly saw a private calligraphy teacher once a week. It was thrilling for her mind’s focus to create kanji with black ink on white paper, at times very strong and at times gentle lines with curves or straight horizontal and vertical lines. The experience was an integrated movement of mind and body to create beautifully balanced letters, an exact moment of meditation. Noriko experienced the same stillness of mind with her training for traditional Japanese tea ceremony rituals and traditional Japanese flower arrangement classes. She learned to achieve an inner peace and calm through simple responses to the simplicity of the natural world. After her university studies, Noriko turned to using other elements of nature, leaves, as a basis for creative expression. Preserved tree leaves became her medium for making sculpture. Along with raising her daughter as a single mom and teaching color design theory at interior design schools in Kobe and Osaka, Noriko exhibited her leaf sculptures in galleries and cafes for ten years in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and other Japanese cities. As Noriko’s daughter grew up, Noriko gained more free time and her interests and curiosity broadened. For a decade she traveled extensively throughout Asia seeking new experiences in the food, dress, dance, and crafts of colorful ethnic cultures and natural scenery. Upon her first visit to the Pacific Northwest, Noriko was so affected with its unique combination of scale and beauty that she immediately decided to live in Portland. After moving to Portland, Noriko was surprised to learn that leaf sculpture in the United States is only treated as a craft rather than an expressive art form. In response, she turned her energy away from leaf sculpture and towards a journey of exploring her interests in the culinary arts with an emphasis on coordinating color for meal presentation. Her journey included several trips to Chiang Mai, Thailand for master Thai cooking classes. In 2004, Miso Magic, a Japanese and Thai cooking school, was established in Portland, Oregon under her supervision. While taking a break from teaching at her cooking school and attending an introductory painting class at Portland Community College, Noriko had an epiphany. With landscape painting, she could reconnect to the meditative states experienced as a youth while engaged in the simplicity of the earth's natural elements. Acrylic painting on a regular basis since 2015, Noriko with great joy shares her inner momentary states from her camping, hiking, and trail running experiences in the landscapes of the western United States

NORIKO_HEAD_SHOT_ADJ

My history with art started with Japanese calligraphy when I was twelve years old.  Japanese children of my generation commonly saw a private calligraphy teacher once a week. It was thrilling for my mind’s focus to create kanji with black ink on white paper, at times very strong and at times gentle lines with curves or straight horizontal and vertical lines. The experience was an integrated movement of mind and body to create beautifully balanced letters, an exact moment of meditation.

 

I experienced the same stillness of mind with my training for traditional Japanese tea ceremony rituals and traditional Japanese flower arrangement classes.I learned to achieve an inner peace and calm through simple responses to the simplicity of the natural world.

 

After my university studies, I turned to using other elements of nature, leaves, as a basis for creative expression. Preserved tree leaves became my medium for making sculpture.  Along with raising my daughter as a single mom and teaching color design theory at interior design schools in Kobe and Osaka, I exhibited my leaf sculptures in galleries and cafes for ten years in Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, and other Japanese cities.

 

As my daughter grew up, I gained more free time and my interests and curiosity broadened. For a decade I traveled extensively throughout Asia seeking new experiences in the food, dress, dance, and crafts of colorful ethnic cultures and natural scenery. Upon my first visit to the Pacific Northwest, I was so affected with its unique combination of scale and beauty that I immediately decided to live in Portland.

 

After moving to Portland, I was surprised to learn that leaf sculpture in the United States is only treated as a craft rather than an expressive art form. In response, I turned my energy away from leaf sculpture and towards a journey of exploring my interests in the culinary arts with an emphasis on coordinating color for meal presentation. My journey included several trips to Chiang Mai, Thailand for master Thai cooking classes.  In 2004, Miso Magic, a Japanese and Thai cooking school, was established in Portland, Oregon under my supervision.

 

While taking a break from teaching at my cooking school and attending an introductory painting class at Portland Community College, I had an epiphany. With landscape painting, I could reconnect to the meditative states experienced as a youth while engaged in the simplicity of the earth's natural elements. Acrylic painting on a regular basis since 2015, with great joy shares my inner momentary states from my camping, hiking, and trail running experiences in the landscapes of the western United States.