(above) Mr. Nakahara posing for a portrait at the Michi-no-Eki (rest stop)


(above) Liz painting at Hidenoya (a diner).

(above) Painting at the Michi-no-eki: view from
the second floor

(above) Matsuba-an

24 Portraits: Kamiyama is a series of 24 portraits painted over the course of three consecutive days in Kamiyama, Japan. Kamiyama is a small town nestled in the mountains of rural Japan on the island of Shikoku. The nearest city is Tokushima.

Kamiyama has an artist residency program (KAIR), which Liz was selected to participate in for the 2003 season. During that 2003 residency, she completed Pink and Green, and The Kamiyama Nature Pilgrimage. In 2008, she was re-invited to Kamiyama to participate in a symposium, and to complete this portrait painting project.

Each oil painted portrait was completed in an hour or less. As with her other portrait projects, the goal was to take art out of a rarefied context and into daily life. There being no 24-hour venues in Kamiyama, the painting performance occurred at three popular Kamiyama locations on three consecutive days. The completed paintings were installed at Kamiyama's Kaizen Center, and Liz gave a Gallery Talk there on September 7th, 2008.

About the Venues:
The first 6 portraits were painted at Hidenoya, a popular local (Japanese-style) diner.

The next 9 were painted at the Michi-no-Eki, which is a rest stop. The rest stop is a hub of Kamiyama activist, as it comprises a farmer's market, a noodle shop, a tiny ice cream parlor, and local handicrafts and prepared foods.

The final 9 portraits were painted at Matsuba-An, a local cafe.

Acknowledgments

(above) Kamiyama


(above) at Matsuba-an

(above) Lunch at Hidenoya. The limes are a famous local variety, called sudachi

KAIR web coverage of
this project:

in English
Painting Performance
Singing Karaoke
News, including Symposium

in Japanese
Painting Performance
Dinner