Hiro Takeshita – “Cut Paper into Art”

June 16 - July 28.

Hiro Takeshita wields an exacto knife with more finesse than many painters with brushes and oils. He creates dazzling works of art with layers of precisely cut paper in saturated hues. The resulting works of art appear to be painted, but they’re all executed in kiri-e or kirigami, the traditional Japanese art of cut paper. 

Hiro was born in Nagasaki, Japan. After studying art and print-making in Tokyo, he moved to the U.S. in 1977 to further his studies, inspired by artists of the post-Impressionist period, particularly Henri Matisse, Abstract Expressionists like Richard Diebenkorn and Pop Artists, especially Andy Warhol. He moved to Hoboken in 1985.  

Hiro’s latest works express his appreciation for the beauty of nature. About a dozen of his paperworks will go on display at the Museum in the Upper Gallery on Sunday, June 16, through July 28. His third exhibition at the Hoboken Museum is titled, “Under the Stars.”

“I was inspired by the joyful colors of the freshly-bloomed flowers and trees in the city parks and backyards,” Hiro says. “They give me renewed energy and I wanted to share this kind of beauty.” Concerned about the environmental threats of high-tech life and pollution, he adds, “I hope people can look at these flowers and be inspired to protect them so that future generations can enjoy them too. We only have one Earth.”

Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Sunday, June 16, from 2 – 5 pm. The exhibit will remain on view through July 28. Find more of his works at www.hirotakeshita.com.

The exhibit is supported by a block grant from the State/County Partnership program for the Arts, administered by the Hudson County Division of Cultural and Heritage Affairs.