From Wichita Falls, Texas
Artist Statement:
Living and working in both Japan and United States almost three decades has allowed me to experience and learn the two countries’ cultural and social comparisons and contrasts. Some incidents have been thoroughly intriguing while others truly frustrating. In this information society, one can also learn and/or study the subjects from a distance and indirect ways however as an artist, I see it as an advantage to have firsthand experiences that have often given me inspiration for my work. I have used both objects and subjects such as figures, products, cultural traditions, and social customs as contexts and references for my sculpture. The piece, titled Maneki Cat is inspired by a Japanese figurine, called Maneki Neko which means “beckoning cat” and is believed to bring good luck and money.
Artist Biography:
Suguru Hiraide was born and raised in Nagano Prefecture in Japan. In 1993, he moved to the United States where he received his BFA in Sculpture and Graphic Design from West Virginia University and his MFA in Sculpture from California State University, Fullerton. Since 2003, he has taught Sculpture and Metals at Midwestern State University (MSU TEXAS) in Wichita Falls, Texas. His recent exhibitions include “The 1st Cross Current Exchange Exhibition Yokohama-Houston 2019” at Kanagawa Prefectural Gallery in Yokohama, Japan and “The 5th Cross Current International Exchange Show U.S. –Japan” Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum. He has also curated several international exhibitions and organized symposium / presentations in the U.S and Japan.