A new art museum has opened near the Vancouver International Airport in Canada. The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art has a narrow focus, exhibiting predominantly the work of Japanese artists who have never exhibited outside Japan. All paintings are on loan from the artists, who live and work in Japan.
At present the gallery, which only started operating at the beginning of this year, features the paintings of over 40 artists, ranging from small acrylics on beechwood panels to large oil canvases. The subjects of the paintings are mostly Japan, Japanese people and Japanese culture, making a visit to this art museum similar to a short visit to Japan.
Among the works on display is “The Dancing Girl”, a detailed acrylic gouache painting by Yuuiti Miyakawa, Best National Costume award winner at the Miss Universe pageant 2006. Another is Reiko Kameyama, specialist in “nihonga”, a uniquely Japanese art form involving finely painted lines and vivid colors using special pigments.
The Rufus Lin Gallery of Japanese Art is a philanthropic venture by Canadian painter, musician and author, Rufus Lin. Its mission is to exhibit jury-selected paintings by talented Japanese artists, regardless of track record, with explanations of the paintings in English. The gallery’s proximity to Vancouver International Airport makes it possible for visitors from all over the world to view the work of many contemporary painters from across Japan at a single location.
Unlike commercial galleries, which are really retail stores selling art, the Rufus Lin Gallery is an art museum that displays fine art, and there are no price tags on the paintings. Admission is free.
Rufus Lin Gallery 415-5811 Cooney Road, Richmond BC, Canada V6X 3M Phone: 604-303-6330
www.rufuslingallery.com