Portraits of Appreciation - Doctor's Series : simplebooklet.com

Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 3 Index ABOUT LELA INTERNATIONAL 4 5 MESSAGES of THANKS Hideo Sakata in his Own Words Special Thank Joe Mizuno by Hideo Sakata William Hemmerdinger Susan Karhroody President of LELA Dulce Stein Galley Curator Peter Frank Event Curator Fonje de Vre Board Member Craig Cooley Development Dir Shawn Panahandeh Angela Barseghian Board Advisor Joseph Piasentin Board Member Ted Wakao Victoria Deneroff Board Member JCI Tomo Caf Members and Jun Yamada 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 ENTERTAINMENT Akiko Dohi Pianist Sachiyo Yoshimoto Violinist Yoko Awaya Koto Player 22 23 24 DOCTORS PORTRAITS 25 Kodi K Azari M D Philip R Fleshner M D Garth Green M D David Y Josephson M D Bao Nguyen M D Wade Nishimoto M D Michelle A Sato M D Daniel Shouhed M D Yuichi Yanami M D Chester Zahn M D 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 PARTICIPATING ARTISTS Renee Amitai Vera Armand Vicki Christensen Vickie Deneroff Merrilyn Duzy Samvel Samvelts Hajikayan Tadashi Hayakawa William Hemmerdinger Hiromi Ishizaka Takeshi Kanemura Susan Karhroody Al Longo Chiyomi Longo Lydia Jenkins Musco Barbara Nathanson Ezzatollah Nourparvar Izan Ogawa Hideo Sakata Taeko Sakujo Zakir Salam Razmik Samvelts Barbara Tabachnick Nancy Uyemura Kiyomi Yamato 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 PASSAGES Dorothy Goode Gary Miyatake 70 71 IN LOVING MEMORY 72 OUR THANKS WITH GRATITUDE 73

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 4 Past Gallery Exhibitions 1996 May Pyong Taek City Museum Pyong Taek city Republic of Korea Participants Republic of Korea 15 Japan 12 U S A 12 India 6 China 1 Total 46 Artists 1996 November Lalit Kala Akademi Ramindra Bhavan New Delhi India Participants Republic of Korea 26 U S A 15 Japan 14 India 10 China 1 Total 66 Artists 1997 May Pyong Taek City Museum Pyong Taek city Republic of Korea Participants U S A 19 Japan 17 Republic of Korea 16 China 2 Total 54 Artists 1997 December Artcore Brewery Annex Art Bank and Transamerica Los Angeles U S A Participants U S A 28 Japan 15 Republic of Korea 14 China 6 Thailand 4 Hong Kong 3 Taiwan 3 India 2 Spain 1 Total 75 Artists 1998 May Pyong Taek City Museum Pyong Taek City Republic of Korea Participants Republic of Korea 19 U S A 15 Japan 12 India 7 Vietnam 3 Taiwan 3 China 2 Thailand 2 Hong Kong 1 Peru 1 Spain 1 Total 75 Artists 1998 October Amyu Tachikawa Lumine Tachikawa Space N s and Artroom Shinkigen Tachikawa City Tokyo Japan Participants Japan 20 U S A 11 Republic of Korea 5 Thailand 4 Taiwan 3 Hong Kong 1 India 1 Peru 1 Australia 1 Canada 1 Germany 1 Palestine 1 Total 53 Artists 1999 May Pyong Taek City Museum Pyoug Taek city Republic of Korea Participants Republic of Korea 15 Japan 12 U S A 11 Hong Kong 1 Thailand 1 India 3 With 21 Korean Student Artists 43 LELA Artists Total 64 Artists 2000 May Pyong Taek City Museum Pyong Taek city Republic of Korea Participants Republic of Korea 22 Japan 11 U S A 10 With 16 Korean Student Artist 59 LELA Artists Total 59 Artists 2001 December Pyong Taek City Art Center Museum Pyong Taek City Republic of Korea Participants Republic of Korea 60 Japan 10 U S A 8 China 5 Total 83 Artists 2002 October Angels Gate Culture Center Gallery Japanese American Cultural Center George Doizaki Gallery and Cal State Univ Los Angeles Fine Art gallery Los Angeles U S A Participants U S A Canada Mexico Japan Republic of Korea Thailand China Hong Kong Australia France Germany Netherlands Italy India Nige ria Peru Malaysia Philippines Vietnam Colombia El Salvador Costa Rica Lebanon New Zealand Indonesia Argentine and Nicaragua About 126 Artists 2003 May Pyong Taek Korea 2004 May Pyong Taek Korea 2005 December Pyong Taek Korea 2005 January Bangkok Thailand 2006 September Los Angeles U S A 2007 September Yerevan Armenia 2008 LELA International Gallery Quarterly Shows Los Angeles USA 2009 LELA International Gallery Quarterly Shows Los Angeles USA 2011 LELA International Gallery Quarterly Shows Los Angeles USA 2012 LELA International Gallery Quarterly Shows Los Angeles USA 2013 LELA International Gallery Quarterly Shows Los Angeles USA 2014 Art Cosmos Exhibition Artist s Art Show Los Angeles USA 2015 Relocation Celebration of the Artists of LELA Los Angeles USA 2016 Summer Art Festival Park View Gallery Los Angeles USA 2017 Nagasaki Ken Fine Art Museum Dejima machi Nagasaki City Japan August 9th thru August 15th Opening Celebration August 9th 2017 Yokohama Civic Gallery Azamino Japan August 14th thru August 20th Opening Celebration August 15th 2017 Artist Union Gallery in Yerevan Capitol City of the Republic of Armenia October 9th thru October 15th Opening Celebration October 9tht 2020 Nagasaki Prefecture Fine Arts Museum Nagasaki City Japan August 43rd Annual Peace Show 2021 Yerevan Armenia

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 5 About Our Organization Lee Kye Song Hideo Sakata P Khemraj Yoko Kamijyo LELA started as Lantern of the East an art movement initiated by four Asian artists Lee Kye Song Hideo Sakata P Khemraj and Yoko Kamijyo who became concerned about trends in the contemporary art world in the late 20th century These artists viewed the art scene as becoming increasingly dominated by commercial forces and tending towards a mono cultural Western oriented bias This perception was reinforced when he NYC Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1996 at their special exhibition of 20th century Great Artists featured scant representation from Asia The Lantern group believed that Eastern art with a different sensibility derived from the intrinsic religious and cultural traditions of the Asian region needed to become a more active force in the contemporary visual art scene and that in doing so would be a driving force in shaping the world of contemporary visual art in the 21st century The Lantern of the East then became Lantern of the East Los Angeles or LELA International Artists as the founders were motivated by the conviction that art can unite people in our troubled modern world across boundaries of race faith and national borders helping all of us to reconnect with our fundamental spiritual essence and to find an inner peace and happiness In that spirit the founders began in 1996 and continue an annual international art festival to communicate the spirit of Global Art Community to the far and remote corners of the world The movement these Asian artists started became rooted in many locations on a global level from the Korean city of Pyong Taek and their hosting LELA International Art Festival to APEX in L A which marked the 10th anniversary of the LELA by hosting an International Art Festival being it s largest and most ambitious project in its history It presented not only the spirit of Eastern art to Westerners but also introduced the sensibility of Central and Latin American art The founders of LELA hope that more cities in the world like Pyong Taek and Los Angeles join this movement and provide spaces to enjoy and appreciate all that represent the diversity and intrinsic beauty of our global artist community The featured art work of LELA artist Fonje de Vre

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 7 IN HIS OWN WORDS On January 17 2017 I underwent 6 hours of surgery for prostate and rectal cancer at the Cedar Sinai Medical Center With a heart of gratitude and my career as an artist I came up with the idea of a wonderful Doctors portrait exhibition I talked to Hideo Okamura Gary Miyatake and other fellow LELA painters At first both Gary Miyatake and Hideo Okamura were hesitant about the idea but as I continued to talk about my heart s wishes they agreed with the idea and said to recruit more members and follow through with my dream In that sense they were my partners from the beginning Unfortunately these dear members have both passed away within the last 6 months Photo courtesy of Fonje de Vre On August 8 2020 we finalized such details for the exhibition Peter Frank as our curator the Castelli Gallery in New York as our venue the opening date and the other artists that would participate Alas these plans had to be postponed and eventually cancelled as a result of the current worldwide epidemic and social turmoil It was time to go back to the drawing board With us the 26 members we will make a social trend As Professor Garbrace said the 21st century will be the era of cultural enlightenment Therefore we the artists will contribute to society with a pure heart and show our actions in a natural way the obvious thing should be done obviously I at 85 years old will give back to society and my members with this last contribution Thanks to the efforts of everyone at LELA the exhibition will be held for the whole month of November I am really happy we can finally hold this event And I believe both Hideo Okamura and Gary Miyatake would have been pleased with these results If you think about it in this age of excess people are satisfied with plenty of food clothing shelter and relative peace Society s mass production and mass consumption of resources has resulted in a tremendous amount of trash such as large quantities of industrial waste and chemical pollutants that way exceeds the human ability to dispose of such trash thus leading to the destruction of our natural environment These inevitably lead to the devastation of the human heart Society has become numb to the lines of homeless tents filth garbage occupying our streets as they simply pass by with their eyes turned away The rich are richer and the gap between the rich and poor is widening the social conditions of the near future are at risk With that being said we must move away from this business minded society and return to a warm hearted world Our wish is that we regain the original human spirit of mutual respect and appreciation

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 8 Special Message of Thanks Message of recognition to Joe Mizuno I wish to extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Joe Mizuno Since the inception of LELA he has been a strong supporter of our efforts and indeed a great part of the success we have realized Thank you Joe for your kind heart and many messages of support Hideo Sakata MESSAGE FROM JOE MIZUNO I believe art is an important part of unity in the world Art has no boundaries and transcends all races religions ages and economic status In the world of holy wars and human wars art surpasses these atrocities and bring people to a mutual appreciation In this day and age it is extremely critical to try to erase the discord between people As LELA reaches its 33rd anniversary and Mr Sakata s retirement this year we wish LELA continued success for the years to come Joe Mizuno

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 9 Thank you Yuki Over more than a few decades of friendship and participating in LELA Sakata arranged exhibitions I have authored many catalog introductions These brief essays are typically appreciations expressing gratitude to the organizers the curators the artists and the venue I have extolled the virtues of Sakata san the shows performances art camps and events This show The Doctor s Show has a different premise at core Gratitude to those who have helped keep us all sailing on With that in mind I am about to do something not done before Express appreciation to someone vital to our success Yuki Thank you Almost as long as I have known Sakata san standing beside him was this smart beautiful refined person Lovely and radiant Self lessly and generously anticipating Sakata san s needs and those of his friends and guests Without her he could not succeed as he does Thank you Yuki Yuki attends artist meetings assists with all event details administers and executes group plans She has always graciously and without judgement helped us fulfill our dreams William Hemmerdinger The Artist s Studio Yuki San

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 10 A message from the President regarding Hideo Sakata s last exhibition for LELA International Artists I joined the LELA art group on 2009 through a friend of mine Avinger Nelson and since then I have been part of this wonderful organization and have had privilege of working with Mr Hideo Sakata known as Sakata san on a number of shows and projects The most amazing purpose of LELA has brought peace and respect for all the people from different ethnicities any ages and genders Despite of Sakata san s terminal cancer his boundless energy effected my life tremendously and amazed everyone around him Since March of 2021 I have been working with him and his devoted wife Yuki san for the upcoming art show Portraits of Appreciation We have been spending hours and hours mostly in their favorite place at the Starbucks coffee One of the great lessons I remember from Sakata san constantly emphasizing is It s not time to die yet we have so much work to do please stay healthy This year I have been honored to have been asked to join the Board of Trustees with other great and devoted members and take on the responsibility of president I am positive we will work and contribute together in this wonderful organization and make great years to come Susan Karhroody President

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 11 Honorable Hideo Sakata Welcome to The Neutra I am honored to host this amazing group of international artists At The Neutra as you know we have worked hard to create an inclusive environment to artists and guests of all nationalities creeds ages disciplines tastes and technique We have an open door policy to all form of art expression be it dance music performative spoken word and workshops where we learn by doing by experiencing art trough the process of creation Art is home to us all This exhibit now with you Hideo Sakata is a highlight in our journey towards a better day not only in the Art world but the whole World itself Dulce Stein Chief Curator The Neutra Institute Museum and gallery Dulce Stein Dulce Stein was born in Mexico City and at the age of 20 settled in Hawthorne California She is chief curator at the Neutra Institute Museum gallery in Silver Lake where since 2015 she has been curating 17 shows a year Dulce also is currently the Co chair of the Silver Lake Arts Culture Committee where she will serve for a two year term

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 12 THE ARTIST HIDEO SAKATA Hideo Sakata is an extraordinary painter and an extraordinary man For decades he has sought to bring the world together through art and never mind the impossibility of this ideal he has worked tirelessly with dozens of other artists to nudge humanity at least a little bit towards harmony Was it witnessing catastrophe that prompted Sakata to be a peacemaker Or was it his good fortune not to fall victim to the disaster he beheld Certainly what befell his native city of Nagasaki turned him on his public course again as human and as artist I met Sakata over thirty years ago His art was already luminous and mysterious giving off a radiance that bespoke both power and hope He was beginning to organize events and exhibitions with other artists around the world Now a third of a century later his work is hardly complete but time is diminishing his role if fortunately not his art Sakata loves life and living with an urgency lost on most of us an urgency that has led him to celebrate the doctors who have recently saved him and to invite his artistic colleagues to pay similar homage The doctors worked as a team just as LELA has one team saved Hideo Sakata the other has been created and saved by him Sakata and his healers both deserve our gratitude Peter Frank Los Angeles November 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 14 The Legacy of Hideo Sakata By Craig Cooley When I first met Hideo Sakata I wanted to know what he was all about this friend of a friend Per my radio experience I wanted to know him via an interview My interview process is grounded in the belief that what is important what really matters in the process is to discover the passion that makes the person who they are It was soon apparent that Hideo has one passion surpassing all others his love of art and its ability to build bridges across cultures Along with his love of art Hideo believes that all our cultures exist in a recurring life cycle a natural phenomenon that is part of what makes the universe In other words in this cycle we all exist again and again This is natural and powerful as it gives meaning to our daily existence I welcomed Hideo s philosophy and his love of humankind And I have worked with him for two decades assisting him in making the world a better place through art Along with Hideo I have collaborated with artists Fonje deVre and Norma Jean Squires art critic Peter Frank and other members and friends of LELA creating exhibitions events workshops and other prestigious international presentations in premier galleries and art schools around the world My own life has been enriched immeasurably by my relationship with Hideo Sakata and for that I am very grateful Craig Cooley Laguna Beach November 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 15 Conflict Peace and Art By Shawn Panahandeh On Aug 9 th 1945 a 10 years old boy survived one of the most horrendous tragedies in human history known as the second atomic bomb in Nagasaki that perished tens of thousands of innocent lives and altered the man s relationship forever Little Hideo climbed the atomic bomb rebels to start his new experience and understanding of the new world and he used the effects of the explosion to his advantage for betterment of human kind and world of Art Hideo Sakata also known as Sakata san immerged from the war ashes as a true samurai and as an art phoenix to build a bridge between Suffering and light Sakata san didn t allow the scars of human madness to torment his future also he didn t let the hardship of life to stop him from giving birth to his love of cultures and art his beloved child LELA Sakata san not only fought a long battle of cancer he also was determined to express his appreciation of life to form the Portraits of Appreciation art show Please allow me to send my kudos and congratulate him for his unique greatness Sakata san Arigato Gozaimasu Shawn Panahandeh Los Angeles November 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 16 Message from Angela Barseghian This is an amazing world with so much good talent creativity love all around and so much promise for the future LELA this amazing charitable worldwide art appreciation organization was created by honorable HIDEO SAKATA San as if to do just that spread the good among people I have been the pro bono legal adviser for LELA over 25 years and have come to meet many amazing people through this wonderful organization LELA Through the years the artistic members of LELA have traveled many corners of the world to touch the people through art appreciation have held classes in schools for economically disadvantaged children blind and deaf children LELA has spread nothing but love and peace to people in many countries of the world has brought nationalities and different cultures together for common good through the universal language of art The philosophy and ideals of LELA come from its founder Hideo Sakata San which is to connect art and culture appreciating people of the world together for common good And of course my love and appreciation for Hideo Sakata San and his art cannot be matched with anything I have experienced in my life as he is an amazing artist but more importantly an amazing world class HUMAN BEING Not too long ago HIDEO SAKATA SAN became ill and came to meet and appreciate medical doctors He saw similarities in what the doctors were doing for the mankind and what LELA was doing in the world of art Doctors impressed Hideo Sakata San and an idea was born to show much appreciation to the doctors and to the medical field who also contribute so much to the world good by healing caring and giving hope to the sick and hopeless Thus art and medicine met each other at a perfect intersection showing much appreciation for each other and that is what this show is all about Thank you doctors for saving so many lives and improving the health of so many especially when the world health is at stake Thank you LELA for bringing creative and caring people of the world together and spreading much love and friendship to so many especially when the world peace is at stake This show is the pride of LELA also because it shows the genius of Hideo Sakata San who this time came up with the idea of honoring doctors honoring the medical profession demonstrating this amazing connection between art and medicine all serving mankind in so many amazing ways together CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL ANGELA BARSEGHIAN Attorney at Law Beverly Hills California

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 17 Joseph Piasentin Artist s Welcome Message Welcome to the Doctor s Portrait Exhibition Por traits of doctors as a simple and personal expression of appreciation is gratitude for a gift given The seed of this expression the profound regard Hideo Sakata possesses for those artists of medicine who invested in his health is ample stimulus to elicit such a beautiful response For many of us and especially the artists in this exhibition these documentations of gratitude are about sharing and have the potential to energize within us the spirit of sharing We can hope that this is indeed one of the lasting aspects of this exhibition this experience sharing our own generosity where we can with in a sense a form of paying it forward After all this is the type of impact we who have worked with LELA have come to expect For more than two decades Lantern of the East Los Angeles as an organization has been a source of inspiration enlightenment and action Hideo Sakata the visionary force behind LELA has invested his creative life to show us the artist as a lifelong learner teacher and leader Thank you Hideo Sakata for your years of devotion in giving to so many a well lit path to cultural understanding and community by keeping the lantern of LELA brightly burning Joseph Piasentin Professor Emeritus Pepperdine University Malibu California November 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 18 WELCOME MESSAGE Despite our progress with technology the advancement of our economies and the luxurious lifestyles that we are afforded and many enjoy we have become witnesses to an increase in crime rates around the world We must ask ourselves Why Consider a remedy art as it powerfully enriches our minds induces compassion provokes empathy and allows the tender feelings of hope and love to flourish We believe that it is about time for all of us to turn our attention back to art and reevaluate what art can offer to our sensibility and compassion Consider that the City of Los Angeles is one of the most unique cities in the world as it is home to many people who have migrated from more than 100 countries And with that different cultures meet we are all urged to understand and respect each other with the result being that a new culture is born Art is a universal language in that process as without knowing each other s language we can still share the feeling of excitement of art by watching listening and touching It s a great communication tool I find great significance and purpose in this 10 doctors portraits exhibition to be held in Los Angeles where all participating countries and communities can work together to understand each other through the common language of art I would like to express my heartfelt appreciation to all sponsors supporters participating artists volunteers and organizing committee members who helped to make this event successful Ted Wakao

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 19 Message from Victoria Deneroff As a newcomer to LELA I have been welcomed into a family of wonderful integrity and creativity I m honored to have been asked to join the Board of Trustees and take on the responsibility of the vice president It s difficult to understand what I might contribute but will do what I can Such an illustrious group of artists dedicated to fostering the unity of the world East and West through art LELA is unique among all the artists organizations I ve been part of We are focused on humane values of beauty truth and dare I say love Sakata San insists on going beyond materialism and instead promoting the purity of art as a spiritual expression Artists regardless of reputation and glamor within the commercialized art world were invited to contribute to this shared vision The Doctors Show is Sakata San s way of expressing gratitude to the Cedars Sinai physicians who have been treating him for the last five years For the LELA artists it is the collective expression of gratitude for those who have generously given their expertise to the healing of our treasured and esteemed founder Healing the world through art is his lofty vision and so the Doctors Show is our gesture of thanks for the priceless gift of LELA that Sakata San has given us Victoria Deneroff

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 20 JCI Tomo Caf I would like to express my heartfelt congratulations to all who contributes to the success of the exhibition of the portraits of 10 doctors I believe that art is a common language and it is an artist s goal to reach the human love through the language of art My sincere wish that this show will become the great opportunity to foster friendship hope and dreams for our future and the next generation Mr Sakata wishes to express his gratitude to the Nikkei Japanese American community He wishes to give special thanks to the Jewish community for the care he received beyond the normal conducting of business Mr Sakata out of appreciation and respect hopes to act as a bridge between the two communities by working diligently on the production activities Mr Sakata has been active with the JCI Japanese Community Institute Friendship Society By associating with the happy senior citizens at the JCI he is reminded of the fine quality Japanese people have to be kind to one another He has also a strong desire that he wants to inspire and empower the Nikkei community through this exhibit because he is aware of the community been shrinking in number and its sprit The artists who participated in this exhibition are excellent and talented people The only way to respond to this interest what kind of portraits these abstract painters paint is to hold exhibition to demonstrate and to create the catalogue to appeal in the world for the generation to come Moreover this is a groundbreaking exhibition that no one any society any group of painters or individual painters ever has done it It is the last exhibition by Hideo Sakata a representative of the LELA Mr Sakata places great significance on this exhibition appreciating the guidance and leadership of the Nikkei community I am sincerely happy and grateful to do my part working with Mr Sakata in helping his aims and goals become reality And I extend to Mr Sakata and the Lantern of the East project members best wishes for the success of this festival Hirokatsu Kato JCI Tomo Caf Friend Caf Member

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 21 Finally we heard that the LELA 35th Anniversary Show 2020 will be held after being in the planning stages for the last two years We are celebrating this day as there were likely many hardships to overcome to accomplish this feat We would like to extend our heartfelt congratulations on this 10 Doctors Portrait Show We admire the idea of this wonderful portrait exhibition as well as the effort of planning it This is a unique portrait exhibition in which many painters including painter Mr Hideo Sakata cooperated not only to convey the achievements and gratitude to 10 doctors who are active in the LA area but one that builds mutual trust and friendship Furthermore artist Sakata a survivor of the A Bombing in Nagasaki is still working hard on his creative activities even while fighting serious cancer We are deeply moved by his spirit At the same time he and his wife Tamiko are senior members who enjoy a Japanese conversation club with us every Thursday morning at Tomo Caf of JCI Japanese Cultural Institute a Japanese society in Gardena CA JCI s password is KANSHA Gratitude or Arigato This gathering which respects each other and helps one another helps to heal the feeling of loneliness of our elderly people This show also strengthens our gratitude and mutual trust and celebrates the joy of living We would like to congratulate and thank Mr and Mrs Sakata Please enjoy a healthy and peaceful life forever All of the JCI Tomo Caf Members and Jun Yamada

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 22 Entertainment Ms Akiko Dohi is a highly acclaimed concert pianist lecturer and award winning composer She earned a B M degree in Piano from Osaka College of Music then was Audio Director at Kansai TV in Osaka for 4 years Extensively concertized in Japan Kansai TV NHK FM radio National and with the Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra Ms Dohi won the P E O International Peace Scholarship and came to the U S M M degree in piano from the University of Redlands Studied with Arninda Canteros Karl Ulrich Schnabel Daniel Pollack etc Extensively concertized as a solo pianist and chamber musician including broadcasts on KUSC KFAC KXLU Radio Pacific Japan Performed piano concertos 13 times with symphony orchestras in Japan and the U S Ms Dohi won annual awards from ASCAP for 18 consecutive years 1997 2014 and in 2020 Her CD East Meets West is a unique collection of classical music based on Pentatonic modes 5 tone scales In 2019 she gave an enthusiastically received lecture recital about the music on this CD for the MTAC at the California State Convention held in Santa Clara Akiko Dohi Concert Pianist Lecturer Akiko Dohi ARTIST S MESSAGE Live in this world by enthusiastically doing our best then let s eagerly charge forward into the next world These were the precious words that Mr Sakata wrote on a birthday card for me several years ago Although I m a concert pianist in August 2004 I was giving a video presentation entitled No More Nuclear Weapons in my church in Long Beach which is well known for Arts Justice As soon as my presentation finished a stranger walked over to me and said Hi I am Mr Sakata I m an atomic bomb survivor of Nagasaki I thought Wow what a cool man I immediately introduced him to Ms Kazu Ishizue a well known activist and the president of the Japanese American Nuclear Survivors Association Since then we became good friends and often discussed world peace Ever since Mr Sakata introduced me to LELA and its activities seventeen years ago I have been so impressed by the contributions of so many high caliber international artists and Mr Sakata s tremendous and continual efforts to make every artist s and art lover s dreams come true for all these years He often said that LELA is not only about displaying art but also about education and culture so he invited me to give my video presentation of No More Nuclear Weapons at the LELA Exhibition at Barnsdall Art Center in L A and Mr Bill Avinger a NASA engineer also did a video presentation on the Fukushima Nuclear power plant disaster For balance I was asked to play some soothing piano pieces afterward including my Sakura Fantasy and some Chopin It was not easy for me to switch gears from severely burnt and dying children to serenely beautiful music Like Mr Sakata always says Let s spread peace to the whole world from here from LELA I strongly believe that the spirit of LELA will keep living forever Congratulations to LELA to Mr Sakata to Ms Renee Amitai and other organizers of LELA and to all the great artists from the US and abroad who contributed over the years Thank you Thank you Akiko Dohi Los Angeles November 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 23 Entertainment The Tokyo born Sachiyo Yoshimoto was reared in Los Angeles where she attended The Colburn School of Performing Arts and received her B F A degree from the University of Southern California She is a versatile performer of world music on the violin and koto Sachiyo has performed throughout the USA Europe Middle East and Japan She is a violinist with the National Arab Orchestra and New York Arabic Orchestra She currently serves as the violin faculty at the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra PS1 Pluralistic School and Children s Music Workshop where she teaches young musicians Western classical orchestra repertoire and world music Ultimately Sachiyo believes in the cooperative power of music and arts to forge a spirit of worldwide tolerance and accord through which local and global communities may be fortified Sachiho Yoshimoto

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 24 Entertainment Yoko Awaya For nearly 50 years I have been involved with promoting the Japanese musical arts specifically Koto and Sangen in the Los Angeles region And over the past 20 years I have enjoyed the company of the energetic and positive Mr Sakata as well as the members of LELA in their pursuit of world peace As I look back over the decades I feel nostalgic about the many events in which everyone enjoyed listening to our koto shakuhachi and flute performances Thanks to your interest we were able to deepen U S Japan cultural ties I am so very grateful to have had such a valuable opportunity I feel a little lonely and disappointed to hear that this will be the last show before Mr Sakata retires ButI hope he will enjoy having more leisure time to spend with his wife Yuki and the rest of his family I wish him many happy and healthy days ahead Lastly I hope that LELA will be able to continue to build on Mr Sakata s work into the future Congratulations and best wishes for continued success Yoko Awaya President Yoko Awaya Koto Music Conservatory Yoko Awaya ARTIST S MESSAGE From the bottom of my heart I want to congratulate Mr Hideo Sakata an artist who has been active from his base in Los Angeles to Japan and many other places around the world as well as the artists and Lantern of the East LELA on the opening of the Ten Doctors Portrait Show This show is organized around portraits painted by Mr Sakata of the ten doctors who cared for him during his illness He painted the portraits out of a sense of gratitude From a young age Mr Sakata dreamed of finding a way to make art serve the betterment of society To achieve this goal he started the artists group LELA 30 years ago in Los Angeles He has actively organized exhibitions around themes of tradition and culture Because of his efforts around the world artists and many other people have been able to deepen cross cultural ties and widen the circle of peace and friendship I believe the arts have the power to transcend borders and allow people to share an emotional connection Mr Sakata realized his dream Congratulations Your continuous efforts have left a deep impression on me Best wishes for a successful show Spring Sea will be performed by Yoko Awaya It was written in 1929 by Michio Miyagi as a duet for Koto and shakuhachi bamboo flute He wrote it while sailing on the Seine Japan Inland Sea The piece starts out in an andante in four beat time where the koto melody brings out the quite sea in sprig time and the small waves The shakuhachi plays a slow boat song Then the piece changes to a two beat allegro in which the boat cuts through the white waves At the end it returns to the quiet calm sea and the small slow waves It is typical of Japanese classical traditional chamber music to represent a scene in nature Michio Miyagi was blind since he was 8 years old This piece and Miyagi s name became famous worldwide after the French violinist Renee Chumet visited Japan in 1932 she rearranged the shakuhachi part for violin MIYAGI and CHUMET recorded released worldwide

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 28 Phillip R Fleshner MD is the Program Director of the Colorectal Surgery Residency at Cedars Sinai Medical Center He is also a clinical professor of surgery at the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles UCLA He holds the Shierley Jesslyne and Emmeline Widjaja Chair in Colorectal Surgery Dr Fleshner s main clinical and research interests are directed towards optimizing outcomes and techniques in the surgical management of Crohn s disease and ulcerative colitis He has written numerous articles for peer reviewed publications including the Annals of Surgery Journal of the American College of Surgeons Diseases of the Colon and Rectum Gut and the American Journal of Surgery He received a bachelor s degree from McGill University and his medical degree from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed his general surgery residency at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York and his colorectal surgery fellowship at the Lahey Clinic in Boston Philip R Fleshner M D Portrait by Renee Amitai

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 32 David Y Josephson M D Photo by Gary Miyatake Dr David Josephson a pioneer and expert in robotic urologic surgery is attending surgeon at Cedars Sinai Medical Center and a partner at Tower Urology He is unique in that he is one of very few urologic surgeons in the country who have extensive fellowship training in both open and minimally invasive techniques for the management of complex urologic disorders He is a native of Southern California having earned a BS degree in physical anthropology from UCLA Dr Josephson earned his MD from Albert Einstein College of Medicine and completed a residency in urology at USC He subsequently completed a urologic oncology and reconstructive urology fellowship at USC Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center under the guidance of Don Skinner MD He subsequently had fellowship training in advanced laparoscopy and robotic surgery at City of Hope He was recruited to stay at City of Hope and became the Surgical Director of the Kidney Cancer Program helping establish innovative techniques to perform nephron sparing surgery At City of Hope he also served as the Director of the Urologic Oncology and Robotic Surgery Fellowship Program prior to being recruited to Tower Urology He is currently the Clinical Division Chief of Urology at Cedars Sinai and past president of the Los Angeles Urologic Society In his time away from work and his patients he loves being with his family his wie Ashley and his two children Taylor and Noah He is an avid cyclist snowboarder and always working hard to improve his tennis game that is still a work in progress Portrait by Razmik Samvelts

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 46 Renee Amitai graduated from l Ecole des Beaux Arts de Paris France and gained professional experiences in Fine Art and architecture in France Israel Italy and America Her artistic interest evolves from Architecture Printmaking to Painting and Sculpture back and forth She moved to the United States in 1984 taught printmaking painting and architecture in San Antonio Texas and Los Angeles California She lives in Paris France and in Los Angeles California USA Her work is exhibited in California France China Japan Korea and other countries She is affiliated in Los Angele to LOS ANGELES PRINTMAKING SOCIETY to LA ARTCORE LELA BUILDING BRIDGES Metro Gallery 417 S Hill Gloria Delson Gallery and other galleries In Paris to the association LES SEIZE ANGES to Gallerie Gavart Paris 8 em Gallerie Mu Paris 9em and Metanoia Gallery rue Quincampoix Paris 4 City Hall Gallery Paris 8 and to the ARTISTES INDEPENDENTS Grand Palais Paris and others Renee Amitai ULYSS VOYAGE Oil On Canvas 40 x 30

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 47 Vera Armand is an abstract artist Her abstract technique has influenced her drawing technique When she creates a drawing she uses brush washes and utilizes a stick which gives her more freedom to express herself Vera graduated in Fine Arts from U C Berkeley at the time when New York artists came to teach She has shown her art at the Nagasaki Art Museum Worth Ryder Museum Berkeley and many other locations Vera Armand ARTIST S MESSAGE In my paintings I find inspiration through music whether it is Jazz Classical or Country mixing actions and sounds with gestures and pauses that translate onto the canvas On paper the figure has always been important to me with a freedom of expression rather than a representation

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 48 Vicki Christensen has been a creative spirit and artist since childhood She has enjoyed a 35 year career as an award winning art creative director and graphic designer in the advertising industry On a parallel track to her advertising career Vicki has always expressed herself through fine art explorations utilizing mixed media photography and collage Vicki also enjoys teaching art to children Vicki Christensen ARTIST S MESSAGE I love odd I like the dark side the unwanted weird things eccentricity and anomalies Don t worry I love light beauty and happiness too But the contrast makes it all more interesting It s essential for me to do study and experience art It gives life life Vicki Christensen Gold Medal Mixed Media Vicki Christensen 36 x 36

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 49 Victoria Deneroff I am an artist and poet living in Los Angeles with a four decades of art practice I started out as a printmaker do ing color separation etchings I carved lineoleum blocks with poetry and images I was admitted to the Los Angeles Printmaking Society in the 1980 s I turned to painting in the mid 80 s due to health problems from printmaking solvents I am largely self taught as a painter taking occasional classes at CSUN and Santa Monica College Participating in various critique groups has been my art school I used to argue with painting professors not wanting to conform to the rules of painting Indeed most of my work is slightly transgressive of conventions Poetry and art go hand in hand for me sometimes the poem comes first sometimes the painting I have exhibited paintings and drawings in a number of juried group shows since the 1990 s Vickie Deneroff ARTIST S MESSAGE I am a native Californian living and working in Los Angeles I began my professional art career as a printmaker and was invited to join the LA Printmaking Society in the 1980 s I ve exhibited in many juried shows on the West Coast and am a member of the Los Angeles Art Association Since turning to waterbased painting in the 1990 s I have focused on creating medium to large abstract expressionist paintings My inspiration is both the natural world and the inner world of the spirit The portrait of Dr Daniel Shouhed was an interesting challenge for an abstract artist I found it difficult to create a portrait of someone I have not met but looking at the finished drawing I see the compassion Dr Shouhed brings to his work as a healer I m humbled to be able to honor his work rainy season rain is falling softly on parched and cracked earth the dry sand of the riverbed comes back to life the water hisses and boils then flows steady How much love is that You say it is not a miracle Rainy Season 32 x 37 x 3 Unframed Acrylic and Found Objects on Unstretched Canvas

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 50 Merrilyn Duzy is an artist first and foremost she is also a teacher lecturer curator and art collector Her formal art education culminated with her Master of Fine Arts degree from Otis Art Institute Her informal education includes ongoing art classes and worldwide travels In addition Ms Duzy s education is enhanced by her extensive research for her lectures Walking Through History Women Artists Past Present Symbols Signs Space A Personal Journey and Sex in History A Pictorial View her most recent lecture which encompasses 5000 years of erotic art Merrilyn Duzy Ms Duzy has a considerable exhibition record that includes museums and galleries across the United States as well as international exhibitions in Armenia Canada Israel and many Asian countries As a curator Merrilyn has organized and presented exhibitions such as Erotic Art 88 Quarks to Quasars and Angels Ancestors Spirit Guides among others Ms Duzy is listed in the Who s Who In American Art Who s Who In The West and Barbara J ARTIST S MESSAGE Hideo Sakata s desire to show his profound gratitude to his Cedar Sinai doctors prompted his calling upon the artist members of the organization he started LELA Lantern of the East Los Angeles Sakata San invited them to paint portraits of his doctors In recognition of their good work and in respect and love of Hideo Sakata I enthusiastically joined with my fellow artists in honoring the men and woman who ve contributed to Sakata San s continuing life It is my great privilege as a member of LELA and one of the artists chosen for this exhibition to add my three portraits in celebration of these doctors I was introduced to Sakata San and LELA by Norma Jean Squires at the annual International Art Festival in 2002 Held at the Japanese American Cultural Center in Los Angeles the Festival included a LELA exhibition music dance traditional Japanese Drumming andan authentic tea ceremony This coming together of creative people from diverse countries and cultures was a beautiful manifestation of Sakata San s vision to facilitate the interaction of professional artists from the Pacific Rim with young people and to bring to light the artistic potential of the next generation to be cultural ambassadors I was so impressed by the caliber and vision of these artists that I joined LELA Along with Norma Jean Squires we became board members and corresponding secretaries until 2014 Merrilyn Duzy October 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 52 Tadashi Hayakawa ARTIST S MESSAGE It has been a long journey to arrive at where I am as a person and as an artist As a child I studied art then I came to the United States and achieved a Masters Degree in Fine Art I then had a thriving career as a commercial artist But after a long absence from doing fine art I felt empty I felt an absolute necessity to return to fine art before it was too late So I dedicated my life to expressing myself with my art Since then I have created an enormous amount of paintings that explore themes such as the Joy of Life Rebirth Power of Spirit and Origin to name just a few I have also achieved a life long dream of having my work in a collection of a major art museum In 2019 with my Core of Life Solo exhibition I achieved this goal Eleven paintings went to the permanent collections of six art museums in Mexico Italy Spain and Chili So as I celebrated my 80th birthday this year and as I reflect on the experience of the COVID19 pandemic I have found a wonderful Waku Waku excitement for life I am now fully aware that painting is now my life and mission Waku Waku Mixed Media 30 x 24

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 53 William Hemmerdinger is a modernist artist born in Los Angeles in 1951 His painting Untitled Bunraku Performer 1982 is in the collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles Recent exhibitions include Retroavangarda Poland International Art and Design Association Korea Nagasaki Fine Arts Museum Japan and Quebec Collagiste Canada Getty Research Institute preserves his professional archive William Hemmerdinger Papers whichincludes many documents related to the artistic career of Hideo Sakata www williamhemmerdinger com William Hemmerdinger in his studio ARTIST S MESSAGE Dr David Y Josephson has a youthful handsome face revealing a caring and generous spirit which is difficult for me to capture My apology As an abstract painter for almost fifty years rarely do I attempt to draw a portrait or create a likeness In my early days I possessed such abilities now not so much Thank you to curator Peter Frank for including me in this project and especially to these fine medical professionals who care for Hideo Sakata my life long friend Bardez II 2020 Acrylic on canvas 84 x 144 A private residence California

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 54 Hiromi Ishizaka 2019 Exhibition Abstract Art Exhibition 8 Tokyo Japan Exhibition Belladonna Art Exhibition Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Tokyo Japan Exhibition ART POINT in Paris Galerie M tano a Paris Exhibition ART POINT Selection III GALLERY ART POINT Tokyo Japan 2020 Solo Exhibition hiromi solo exhibition Cellular sense and thought GALLERY ART POINT Tokyo 2021 Exhibition NAU 21st Century Art Coalition Recommended Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum Tokyo Japan Exhibition Abstract Art Exhibition 10 Tokyo Exhibition Dimension 2021 GALLERY ART POINT Tokyo Exhibition Midsummer night dream Exhibition Gallery TK2 Tokyo Award 5th Hokkaido Art Association sponsored Road Exhibition U 21 Excellence Award Hiromi Ishizaka ARTIST S MESSAGE I was frustrated by the world of judging people visually and realized that I couldn t even see people s faces in a black world I decided to paint all the motifs in black I felt like I was really alive when I blocked external information and faced the thing Tangled 17 x 25 Media of Resin Clay Wire Net Acrylic Paint

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 55 Takeshi Kanemura is a Southern California based Performance Installation artist He was born in Okinawa Japan and lives and works in Los Angeles He received a BA from University of California Riverside an MA from California State University San Bernardino and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University Kanemura has transcended traditional Japanese art and absorbed those practices into his current art form of mixed media performance art With the influences of Japanese performance dancing called Butoh traditional large scale Japanese brush stroke painting and traditional music Kanemura s current pieces incorporate all these elements with Americanized flair to humbly represent the new present day American status the amalgamation of one s identity Kanemura proudly displays the identity of the Japanese American His goals with his art are to promote cultural awareness and the embracing of all cultural heritages His work is a metaphor for his viewers it is impossible to avoid the invisible and nonverbal conflicts and hardships that exist today He wants to reveal those subconscious conflicts through his work because the ambiguous state of how it is presented What is Takeshi doing Why is he doing this Does he want me to think feel a certain way will allow for a more natural response from his audience Ultimately his goal is to activate his viewers perceptions by giving them the freedom to be engaged physically or emotionally He wants to transform the consciousness of being a passive viewer to a willing participant With his art it is the interaction that makes it a performance Despite a different response every time an action reaction and commentary will provoke thought and reflections Kanemura s purpose as an artist is to be the catalyst for drawing out these organic reactions of our human condition Takeshi Kanemura Performance of Kodama 2021 Los Angeles USA 2021

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 56 Susan Karhroody is a contemporary artist specializing in the human form landscape painting and semi representational art She often incorporates clay wire and felt in her three dimensional artworks After completing her master s degree in fine art and also education from the CSUN university she has been working as an art therapist with disabled adults Susan s artworks have been curated in museum and gallery exhibitions in the US Europe and Japan including the prestigious National Art Center Tokyo in 2019 and Chiba Museum of Art and Nagasaki Art museum in 2021 Susan Karhroody ARTIST S MESSAGE I was called to participate and be one of the artists of the Portraits of appreciation exhibition by Sakata san The idea of this art show was formed by Sakata san while he was under the care of the great dedicated doctors who have been helping him through his illness I have been enjoying painting on the portraits of three doctors to express my sincere appreciation to each of these dedicated doctors in gratitude for the care they have provided to our wonderful and amazing leader and teacher Sakata san ABOUT THE ART Fallen Sakura is a series in collaboration with habitat loss This series reflect on environmental concerns and address human relationship to the mother nature as well as picturing it s beauty fragility peace and serenity The use of spiral form is depicting a black hole which is sucking habitat largely as a byproduct of man s actions In terms of binary opposition the beauty of nature and cherry blossom painted against a dark spiral

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 58 Chihomi Longo Recent Exhibitions Lydia Takashita Legacy Exhibition Series 1 LA Artcore Los Angeles CA Premiere Exposition Gallerie Arte Actuale curated by Corrine Dauphine Paris France Whispers Utterances A retrospective exhibition at CEARTE Cultural center Ensenada Mexico Silence Between the Lines ADC Contemporary Art Gallery Bergamot Station Santa Monica CA Chiyomi Longo ARTIST S MESSAGE I feel very honored to have been one of the artists asked to participate in the LELA International Doctors Exhibition Mr Sakata has led LELA for many years and now in honor of the doctors who have cared for him over these last years he and the LELA board members artists and supporters have put together this exhibition and catalog Along with my sketch of Dr Wade Nishimoto I have included one of my works Sound of the Earth 42

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 59 Lydia Jenkins Musco s work has been exhibited in galleries and outdoor spaces across the United States She studied stone carving in Italy and has participated in symposia and residencies in Norway South Korea and China She has been a recipient of two PollockKrasner Foundation grants an Edward F Albee Fellowship and a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant among others She holds an MFA from Boston University and a BA from Bennington College Musco lives and works in Royalston Massachusetts Lydia Jenkins Musto Ninth Unconformity 2021 Medium Integrally pigmented concrete 68 x 20 x 10

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 60 Barbara Nathanson B A M A in Fine Art California State University Northridge Although born in Elizabethtown Kentucky she has spent most of her life in the Los Angeles California area Her studio and residence are in Northridge Ca She has exhibited extensively locally and abroad in various cities in Germany France Poland Denmark China South Korea Thailand Japan Mexico Armenia Nairobi Kenya The Philippines and Canada Her work is included in private and corporate collections and in the Women s Museum in Washington D C and the permanent collection of the Modern Art Museum of Yerevan Yervand Kothar Museum Yerevan Armenia Barbara Nathanson ARTIST S MESSAGE I use art as a means to express my environment In this way what you see is akin to the emanations from a sound box where the acoustics of sounds life circumstance and landscape have combined at one moment in time The subject matter is not the subject The process is often as important as the result I have recently included with my abstract tactile paintings more objective work but the impetus is the same Just as each person responds differently to music I expect each viewer will respond differently to what they see www barbara nathanson com

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 62 Izan Ogawa Born in Nasu Karasuyama Tochigi in 1946 Lives in Iruma Saitama Japan Calligrapher artist expression educator Hosting a private school of calligraphy since 1969 He leaved his calligraphy society and is an independent calligrapher since 1987 Proposing calligraphy utilized in daily life and developed original guidance Since 1997 he has held solo exhibitions and calligraphy workshops in the Czech Republic to promote cultural exchange In 2005 he met painter Yoshitaka Tanaka and aimed at contemporary art In 2015 broke new ground of calligraphy through encounter with a synthetic paper Repel Paper His works are exhibited in Japan s first class hotel such as Peninsula Hotel and Chinzan so Currently he organizes several private exhibitions to ask the world about his work Imaginary works while running Shoshin Gakusha school of beginner s mind for expression education through calligraphy modeling etc intending release of the mind of the participants of all ages from children to adult Izan Ogawa Izan Ogawa creates ink based work with a distinct sense of movement

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 64 Taeko Sakujo ARTIST S MESSAGE What I paint is the energy of the banyan tree known as Gajumaru in Japanese Electricity is invisible to our eyes but it plays an important role in our lives You can t see radio waves but if you have a smartphone you can connect with people all over the world I draw such an invisible energy that is indispensable to life I strive for the best in what I do and I live to paint That s why I continue to paint Gajumaru Even after my body ceases to exist Gajumaru will live on It is my sincere hope that my Gajumaru paintings will help guide humanity in a beneficial direction will energize the hearts of people all over the world and make people notice just how amazing and wonderful they themselves as human beings really are

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 67 Barbara Tabachnick In former life I was a Professor of Psychology statistics research design perception at CSUN for 25 years and belly dancer and costume maker for 16 of those years Currently I am an artist consultant in statistics and research design co author of the most popular multivariate statistics book traveler and swing dancer on hold until virus permits I ve been in multiple juried local national and international group shows since 2004 with some prizes along the way Solo shows some shared include those at the late lamented Orlando Gallery Council Gallery of the NCJWLA Madrid Theatre and Artist Alley at Calabasas Tennis and Swim Center I was twice invited to exhibit at Ontario International Airport Current organizations include Collage Artists of America website manager and soft techie California Art League Southern California Women s Caucus for Art LELA Zoom secretary and Encaustic Art Institute A Statement of Sorts At heart I m an experimental artist What will happen if I work in acrylic watercolor encaustic mixed media and digital photography at all levels of occasional realism and abstraction Content if any usually relates to architecture and landscapes particularly trees I love to explore phone and computer apps digital creation and manipulation of images provides hours of joy playing with my thousands of images I make art because the process feels good and the anticipation of the outcome is exhilarating My favorite works include a bit of whimsy a touch of the incongruous some ambiguity and perhaps a measure of beauty Barbara Tabachnick Visit me at http www csun edu vcpsybxt Art html ARTIST S MESSAGE Hideo Sakata Sakata san is a force of nature His contributions to the artistic community are numerous and his devotion to spreading knowledge of art to the young is prodigious He is a most giving person and somehow remains cheerful while devoting all of his time and energy to making wonderful things happen to foster art and harmony locally and internationally How does he do it How does he find the time for all of these endeavors while still creating art and teaching art to children As one of the artists privileged to enjoy his company and his support I can only wonder and appreciate Sakata san And thank you to the Cedars Sinai doctors who have help Sakata san continue his wonderful contributions to the are world and beyond With great appreciation Barbara Tabachnick Professor Emerita of Psychology and Artist Below the Surface 12 x 12 Encaustic

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 68 Nancy Uyemura artist writer consultant living and working in downtown Los Angeles was born and raised here She is a lot like her artistic work changing and transitioning about the energy of the moment A third generation Japanese American woman who lived in most of the Japanese American enclaves by choice or destiny only your point of view can tell which Receiving a BA in Art design from UCLA in 69 then a MS in Education from USC in 72 she then studied briefly in Japan then back to L A to study painting at Otis Art Institute with Kanemitsu Showing work over the years in both America and Asia she has a broad range of both work and life experience Working in educational fields corporate arenas and community sectors all to keep her passion of making art alive Uyemura works in many different mediums and more recently she has done several public art commissions both here and in Japan She still is active in community art projects in Little Tokyo and other parts of the greater L A community Her work has been about energy and transition and has evolved into a kind of healing process Combining her work in Feng Shui and energy clearing with her art it adds another dimension to her artistic process Nancy Uyemura ARTIST S MESSAGE I have known Hideo Sakata for many decades and he has always been passionate about his Art and about encouraging others to make their own Art Organizing exhibits here in Los Angeles and many places around the world he is a true Ambassador of Peace and Good Will thru Cultural Exchange thru Art Always searching for new paths to keep Art alive and well he has created this exhibit to thank his own Doctors that have helped him in his own journey thru the difficulties of cancer treatment I met and interviewed Dr Garth Green several years ago when I was introduced to him at the City of Hope in South Bay Meeting him and seeing how Sakata and Yuki communicated with him I could tell that he was a very kind and compassionate healer and that Sakata was blessed to have him on his medical team When I asked him how he ended up working and treating cancer patients he told me that he was a cancer patient when he was young and so he wanted to help others be successful in navigating their cancer journey Thank you Dr Green for your dedication and commitment to your Art that of Healing and also to Sakata for his commitment to his Art and creating this exhibit and to Yuki for the support she gives as a caregiver it takes a team to be well so thank you all With that as inspiration I chose to do a mixed media piece using photos that I took that day and some words that to me express the emotions and hope that we all share We are all part of a whole and together we can make wonderful things happen We are each on our own special journeys the one we call LIFE and we will navigate it together Harmony Angel Words Mixed Media on Canvas 40 x 40 2013

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 69 Kiyomi Yamato 2015 EXHIBITIONS Gallery Montartre Exhibition Busan Korea The 3rd Asia Sparks Exhibition at Gyeonggi Art Center Suon Korea Art Cosmos Exhibition at Fukuoka Asia Art Museum Fukuoka Japan Oday Silk Road Special Exhibition of International Art Works Xian China A1 Gallery Exhibition Seoul Korrea 2016 EXHIBITIONS 4th contemporary Chinese Japanese and Korean Art Exhibition Beijing China Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition at Galerie Simon Ginza Japan Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition at Promenade Gallery Sinjuku Japan China Korea Japan Contemporary Art Exchange Exhibition at Promenade Gallery Shinjuku Japan Japan Korea International Exchange Exhibition at Yokosuka City Civic Center Yokosuka Japan The World of Letter

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 70 Passage Two prolific artists in their own mediums planned to be a part of our exhibition Sadly that was not destined to occur It is with a feeling of great personal loss and loss for the artist community with their passing Our heartfelt love goes to their families and those that were so very important in their lives Dorothy Goode 1969 2020 She was known for her exuberant compositions in the vein of lyrical abstraction Deploying egg tempera paints a medium associated with Byzantine and early Renaissance art in a striking integration of ancient and modern she layered and excavated translucent gestures in an array of bold and subtle colors She viewed her compositions as moveable math problems to be solved through a blend of painstaking deliberation and inspired improvisation Often she would sit in yoga poses contemplating a panel for hours before rising to make a single definitive mark She had solo and group exhibitions in Los Angeles San Francisco Seattle Santa Fe Atlanta and Nagasaki Japan Her most recent show Transfixed was held at Augen Gallery in December 2019 Of that exhibition arts writer Friderike Heuer observed What drew me in was the sense of something moving of speed giddy and compulsively driven playful beauty geometric lightness in 3D As a parallel practice to her paintings her graphite and ink drawings exuded wry humor and outrageous sometimes risqu imagery A complex personality and fiercely opinionated feminist she also had a warmer gentler side She was so honored to participate in the LELA exhibition 40th annual 8 9 Peace Exhibition in Nagasaki in 2019 her first exhibition in Japan Dorothy was very inspired by the Japanese calligraphy we saw and its influence is very evident in her final series of paintings Jubilant which will be exhibited at Augen Gallery Portland Oregon For more information about this amazing painter and person please visit http www dorothygoode com

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Portraits of Appreciation LELA International Artists 71 Gary Toyo Miyatake 1951 2020 a third generation photographer of the famed Miyatake family was named after his grandfather Toyo Miyatake and began working in the family business in Little Tokyo at the age of 17 As Toyo s first grandson he had the opportunity to learn first hand the techniques created and developed by his illustrious grandfather He went on to graduate from the Art Center College of Design and eventually opened his own studio Toyo Photography in Gardena where he applied the knowledge gained at Toyo s side to his own work In March 2015 Miyatake s portrait of labor leader Cesar E Chavez was acquired by the Smithsonian Institution to become part of its Civil Rights and Reform Collection during a ceremony at the Japanese American National Museum Other noteworthy individuals who sat for Miyatake include the late Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley Rep Maxine Waters photographer Ansel Adams former Los Angeles County Supervisor Mike Antonovich and sportscaster Vin Scully and his wife Sandra In Gardena Miyatake became known as the go to photographer for elected officials Councilmember Rodney Tanaka said Miyatake supported many of the city s local nonprofit events Miyatake s daughter Joy said that while her father s studio was cluttered his portraiture was the opposite clean and focused For more information visit Photo by Gardena Valley News http www toyoimages com

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 73 Donations and Sponsorships A 501c3 Non Profit Corporation EIN 20 1022085 If you would like to support Hideo Sakata and the art education programs as established through his organization LELA International a 501c3 nonprofit please consider making a tax deductible donation The funds will be used to continue the education and cultural sharing programs that are the legacy of LELA that it may live on in perpetuity for the benefit of all mankind Donations of any amount are appreciated Go to www lelainternational org donate Thank you Our sincere and heartfelt thanks to the following sponsors whos many contributions have made this catalog possible Art Design Resources LLC Yoko Awaya Angela Barseghian Fonj de Vr Akiko Dohi Merrilyn Duzy Peter Frank Tadashi Hayakawa William Hemmerdinger Susan Karhroody Hirokatsu Kato Al Longo Mr and Mrs Joe Mizuno Dr Wade Nishimoto Shawn Panahandeh Joseph Piasentin Kimito Sakata Yuki Sakata Razmik Samvelts Dulce Stein Chiyomi Taneike Longo Nancy Uyemura Jun Yamada Yamato Transportation USA Kiyomi Yamato Dr Chester Zahn

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Portraits of Appreciation by LELA International Artists Page 76 Doctors Artists Kodi K Azari M D Renee Amitai Chiyomi Longo Philip R Fleshner M D Vera Armand Lydia Jenkins Musco Garth Green M D Vicki Christensen Barbara Nathanson David Y Josephson M D Vickie Deneroff Ezzatollah Nourparvar Bao Nguyen M D Merrilyn Duzy Izan Ogawa Wade Nishimoto M D Samvel Samvelts Hajikayan Hideo Sakata Michelle A Sato M D Tadashi Hayakawa Taeko Sakujo Daniel Shouhed M D William Hemmerdinger Zakir Salam Yuichi Yanami M D Chiromi Ishizaka Razmik Samvelts Chester Zahn M D Takeshi Kanemura Barbara Tabachnick Susan Karhroody Nancy Uyemura Al Longo Kiyomi Yamato Musicians Akiko Dohi Pianist Sachiyo Yoshimoto Violinist Yoko Aqaya Koto Player MISSION STATEMENT The LELA International Artists organization is committed to the belief that it is Art as a universal and international medium that empowers mankind with a voice LELA s mission is to use that voice to build bridges between our diverse cultures and ethnicities by utilizing the medium of artistic expression and the sharing of art and art education for everyone Some of the art in this catalog is not available for purchase or subject to prior sale Other are available private viewing purchase rental or long term lease Copyright by LELA International Artosts all rights reserved Catalog design content and layout by Susan Karhroody Craig Cooley and Fonje de Vre