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A part of “Art In Bloom,” the 26 outdoor installations include works highlighting Japanese art, Called “Art In Bloom,” the 26 outdoor installations include works highlighting Japanese art, such as Kalia Garcia’s vibrant “Flower Kuties,” inspired by Japanese artist Takashi Murakami, and “Sakura+Seasons” by Tracie Griffith Tso, which mimics Japanese sumi-e, a traditional ink-brush painting technique pioneered by 14th-century monks.

Sumi-e treasures the spontaneous gesture, the value of uncluttered empty space.

Their Hiroshima Panels consisted of 6-by-24-foot scroll paintings done in a mixture of Iri’s traditional sumi-e and Toshiko’s Western-style figurative painting.

You know, I moved to Japan for two-plus years to study Sumi-e and calligraphy, and four nights a week I trained and then I did homework.

I have taught art for several years, a very specific style of art: Japanese Sumi-e painting.The brush must be held in a certain way and the paper that is used most react to the ink and the water as if they were one.