hello hello,

I wrote this entry on the day after the reception, but did not have a moment to post it til now, from home in Oakland.

written 11.8

it is my first rainy day here and the show is underway.

the reception was so 'wonder full' !

so many, many interesting people with such kind unexpected impressions of the work.

word has it that there were nearly 400 people here that evening !

the folks at Landscape Products, the gallery's parent company, seemed delighted with the outcome.

the reception was catered by Eatrip, one of the most beloved restaurants here in Japan.

the offering was ROBUST, a spring roll like pancake piled high – as you like it - with a huge array of goodies, pork, chicken, fine haystacks of crunchy veggies, tender strips of shitake mushrooms, cilantro, a sauteed leek-like scallion and many other ingredients i could not identify by name, but made for a delicious confection !

100's were served a stand-up dinner that evening !

and the booze - many cocktails being lovingly mixed, of which many were of traditional mood enhancing libations from Amami Oshima that Matt & Shin shipped from our stay in Amami - this helped bring our Amami experience to the Tokyo family - many of whom explained to me how fortunate i am to have had visited this remote, considered mythic island ! so many said that they had never been there in their lifetimes.

I feel so fortunate.

I will return there one day soon.

I would like to live and work there.

i loved Amami and feel soooo fortunate to have floated in that deep blue water, combed the white coral carpeted beaches & had the rich experience of working in the Dorozome (mud dye) compound along side Yukihito.

the whole thing was like a dream.

thank you, Shin, Matt & Yuki !

( :

oh, and the gentleman that set up the opening reception bar - Genta - wow - what an amazing guy.

tall & quite distinguished - a huge shock of rust colored hair & beard - dressed so handsomely, straight out of some righteous haberdashery ! 

the reception attendance: my Banana associates came, many editors, a tall beautiful Japanese actress, Mikako Ichikawa, architects, designers, woodworkers, chefs, office workers, illustrators - so may made there way to see our show.

the day after the party a tall gentlemen arrived at the gallery and chose 2 mobiles to purchase.

I was so happy, but a little sad as one of them was my favorite – called “space”.

I had saved special pieces of wood for years & years & finally created this mobile.

I hope that he enjoys them both ( :

i was not able to take time to take a lot of photos, but here are some from friends & also friends i have not met yet that i found on Instagram.