Saoirise reviews Sakura Sakura:
“The only thing that is ultimately real about your journey is the step that you are taking
at this moment. That’s all there ever is.
Wherever you are, be there totally.” – Eckhart Tolle, Zen Master
When I arrived at the gallery, I landed on a boat dock. To one side is a lovely Yacht, ’the bandit’ and behind me is a couples dance ball and a gazebo. Lovely willow trees hang down around almost hiding voting box. Take a moment to vote when you visit a location, always a nice touch. The gate of this exceptional Japanese style gallery. It is styled after a Japanese home, yet much bigger than a Japanese home would be in either world. This rectangular building has a peaceful and a purposeful design. Perfect for the art inside and the visiting people to enjoy. If you walk around the back of the building, bypassing the actual gallery, you come upon a large lovely Zen garden. There is a nice tree off to one side hanging over a large rock, there is also a stand of bamboo across the way. After going inside the gallery, I returned to this Zen garden and sat on one of the many pillows to write this review.
Sakura is a feminine Japanese name coming from the word for blossom “saku” and the word for good “ra”. This name is used in many places in the world to associate that place with Japanese culture. It is not the word for cherry blossom, although some translations written in kanji mean the cherry blossom. Often it is written in hiragana so the name is clearer.
Zen rock gardens originated in medieval Japan. Karesansui (translated as “dry-mountain-water”) are renowned for their peaceful and simple designs. James Ulak, curator of Japanese art at Smithsonian’s Freer and Sackler galleries, says that the most famous Zen garden may be found in Kyoto at the Temple of the Peaceful Dragon. “Powerful, abstract, Zen Buddhist landscapes designed to invoke deep meditation.” says Mr. Ulak.
Inside the gallery, I begin the tour of this artist’s work. The first image is also the only image presented with a structure inside it. Titled “Takta Castle Sakura” it does not make the castle the focus, yet part of the flow of color and of light. The structure is not in the center get off to the one side. A midnight view; there are people in the foreground riding two to a boat on a very reflective oily dark water surface. Trees and shrubbery colored in dull oranges have lights shining through them. The castle has light coming from behind it. The image has a flow that I feel immediately, and the colors are well placed. There is even a vivd green hill where the palace rests.
There are two major groupings of images here; one of images of Koi fish, the other of Orchids.
Koi are colorful fish, especially within traditional Koi Ponds and the surrounding greens. This artist uses these images to convey a thought or a feeling. Sometimes the artist gives you a hint of their feeling with an image title. Our artist here only names each one Koi and a number. It does not matter, you will see and will feel as you view the images. One image has two Koi next to each other, the vivid colors and the way the position make me think as they are holding “fins” as hands. It is subtle yet definitely there, nothing cartoonish at all; rather very serene. The artist has used the light that hits the water differently in different images. In some, the artist lets us see the light reflecting back off the water, and Koi beyond. Other images do not show the reflection. Yes the Koi images are quite artistic because of those very rich colors they possess. My favorite image today is one that contains a school of Koi at the end. It is titled “Koi#5”. A picture of several Koi crossing the water traveling in the same direction. The Koi look almost hurried to me, and the Koi are heading “toward” the Zen garden.
Unlike what most of us may believe, the Koi did not originate in Japan, but instead in China. It is believed that the Koi were introduced by invading Chinese into Japan where the first record of a Japanese emperor possessing the fish was 200AD. Though the Koi did not originate in Japan, it is the Japanese people who are considered to be the creators of Nishikigoi (Living Jewels). Some in Japan do not recognize the name “Koi” but know the term “Nishikigoi”. Koi are not goldfish, both are mutations of a Carp; the Koi are from the common carp [Cyprinus cardio] whereas goldfish pets are mutations of Crucian Carp [Carassius carassius].
I move through the breezeway into the other side of the gallery where the Orchids are located. The images are stunning and breathtaking. Portions of the Orchids are in sharp clear focus for us, while the background is a cloudy lightness much like the over all feeling of Circa Dreamers installation. These images are titled “Orchid festival#”. These images capture a beauty that an Orchid lover most certainly sees and certainly is the catalyst for them to have such wonderful plants. A true devotion to the flower is felt in these images which could only be created by someone who truly loves this flower. Fortunate for the rest of us, now we see much beauty because of this labor of love.
The pillows scattered around the zen garden provide a nice spot to write about this lovely gallery. When you visit, please put your review on the kiosk at the front “Art Galleries of SL”. These appear on the website for others visiting the site. Charming gallery to visit…Artfully Yours, Saoirse Heart
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Gallery Address:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Fourd/220/59/22
Eckhart Tolle
Information used for Zen Garden, Koi references:
http://www.uekoi.com/Koi-History-c-26.html
On writing in Japanese; there are two 52 character alphabets Hiragana and Katakana [the author can write some things using these] and 1500-2500 Kanjii characters. Kanji characters can convey a complete word or phrase with one symbol.
Kultivate Arts 
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