biography
Karen Nunis Blackstone is a Malaysian artist from Malacca, Malaysia.
Currently based in Singapore, she has spent many years in Japan where she learnt the language and familiarized herself with various traditional art forms, such as calligraphy, printmaking and papermaking-specifically Japanese rice paper or washi. Many of her works involve the use of washi and she incorporates elements of Japanese sensibilities and aesthetic concepts into her work.
Karen Nunis Blackstone's art is also influenced by her interest in music. Apart from being a visual artist, she is a singer/songwriter. Her well received debut album, "Give Me Sanity", brought her music to a larger audience internationally. Her second album, "Dark Sun Big Rain", will be released in February of 2008 by the Malaysian indie record label, Rock Unite. Like her art, her music explores cultural universals, marrying eastern and western sensibilities.
Nunis has held one-woman exhibitions in galleries in Malaysia, Japan and the United States. She has also participated in group shows, has won awards in juried art exhibitions and was a recipient of the Freeman Fellowship award, which included a 2 month residency at the Vermont Studio Center in Johnson, Vermont during the fall and early winter of 2000.
exhibitions:
Exhibitions both group and solo*:
(solo exhibitions are in bold)
- Australian High Commission Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1989)
- Galeriwan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1990)
- Alliance Francaise, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1991)
- From TheArte, Tokyo, Japan (1992)
- Honkin Seibu Gallery, Akita , Japan (1993)
- Art Case Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1993)
- Minnesota State University, Akita, Japan (1993)
- Bon Ton Back Yard Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1994)
- Art Case Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1994)
- Akita Artist Association, Akita, Japan (1994/1995)
- Galeri Ai, Akita, Japan (1995)
- Minnesota State University, Akita Japan (1996)
- Oakland Asian Cultural Centre, California, USA (1997)
- Valentine Willie Fine Art, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (1998)
- Galeri Ai, Akita, Japan (1998)
- Dairyuji Temple, Oga City, Japan (1999)
- The Red Mill Gallery, Vermont, USA (2000)
- Galeri Ai, Akita, Japan (2001)
- Midori Kateikobou, Akita, Japan (2001)
- National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2002)
- Lankershim Gallery, Hollywood, Ca, USA (2003)
- Yurimasamune, Honjo, Japan (2003)
- Akita International University, Japan (2004)
- Badan Warisan, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (2005)
- TURM Gallery, Akita City, Japan (2006)
- Mukaino Open Studio, Akita Japan (2007)
awards:
From TheArte, Tokyo (1992) ;
Akita Artist Association (1994 &1995);
The Freeman Fellowship, Vermont Studio Center (2000)
collectors:
Karen Nunis' art can be found in many collections worldwide, including that of the Oakland (California) Asian Cultural Center, the Freeman Foundation (USA) and Bob Dylan.
education:
Primarily a self taught painter, Nunis counts her father, an artist, as a major influence in her early development as a painter. She also has an Associates of Art from Minnesota State University, Akita, Japan where she focused on Japanese language and culture. She has participated in workshops for Japanese wood block printing by Hiroshi Mimura and has also studied Japanese calligraphy shodo with Professor Naganuma of Akita University and Japanese rice paper-making with Hayashi Keirin.
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