Artist Statement

Life is like a journey.
We are all travelers and sojourners on the earth.

I'm originally from Japan, now live in Kansas, U.S., where I continue to build a life shaped by both places. Moving from one place to another, leaving things behind, and facing a new landscape and culture makes me feel like a traveler, a sojourner, a person in a new place. The belief I have is that life is like a journey; we are all sojourners on the earth. At the same time, I constantly believe in the place that I can fully call home. My artworks explore various perspectives into my search for the meaning of "home" within a sojourner's journey. Through the art forms which are primarily paintings and installations, I mainly explore cultural, social, philosophical, and spiritual aspects.

Bio

Chiyoko Myose is an artist originally from Wakayama, Japan, and now lives and works in Wichita, KS. She holds a BA in English Literature from Doshisha Women’s College in Kyoto, Japan, and a BFA in painting from Wichita State University, Wichita, KS. Her works are primarily painting and installation art. Chiyoko has been showing her works through exhibitions and commissions regionally, nationally, and internationally, including in Japan, Italy, and Peru. Her solo exhibitions are typically large-scale, including the one at the main gallery of CityArts in Wichita, KS, Mid-America Arts Alliance in Kansas City, MO, Oklahoma Contemporary in Oklahoma City, OK, and Museo Convento de Santo Domingo - Qorikancha, Cusco, Peru. Her artist residencies include the one at the International School of Painting, Drawing, and Sculpture in Umbria, Italy, Raymer Society in Lindsborg, KS, and Foundation House in Greenwich, CT. She has collaborated with other forms of art such as classical music, contemporary dance, and the Japanese tea ceremony. She has also done several lectures, workshops, and community engagement projects, and served as a juror. She was awarded several awards, including a Koch Cultural Trust Enabling Grant, a Wichita Arts Council Artist Grant, a KMUW Artist Series Artist of the Year Award, and a Wichita Asian Association Excellent Artist Award. She is married and has two children.