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contact name: Keiko Ishii Eckhardt
email: keiko@ghousthousepress.com

location address:
Brooklyn NY 11211

open to public: no

Related Organizations:
Lower East Side Printshop
Highpoint Center for Printmaking
Minnesota Center for Books Arts
University of Iowa Center for the Book
Southern Graphics Council
Mid-America Print Council
Los Angeles Printmaking Society

EDUCATION

2004
Master of Fine Art in Printmaking. University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA.
Graduate Certificate in Book Arts. University of Iowa Center for the Book.

2003
Master of Art in Printmaking. University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA.

2001
Bachelor of Fine Art in Printmaking.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design; Minneapolis, MN.

1999
California College of Arts and Crafts; San Francisco/Oakland, CA.
Mobility Program: Book arts and printmaking studies.

1997
Vantan Design Institute; Tokyo, Japan. -- illustration, fashion drawing, and Japanese painting studies.


WORKSHOPS

2001
Anderson Ranch Arts Center; Snowmass Village, CO.
"Alternative Photographic Processes" led by Laurie Snyder and John Wood.

2000
Penland School of Crafts; Penland, NC.
"Developing Ideas for Artist's Book" led by Susan E. King.

1999
Haystack Mountain School of Crafts; Deer Isle, ME. "Artist's Books" led by Hedi Kyle.

1998/1999
"Institute of Public Art and Design"; Minneapolis, MN.
Minneapolis College of Art and Design.


EXPERIENCES

2005
Hand binder at Campbell-Logan Bindery, Minneapolis, MN.

2002-2004
Production assistant for "Book Drop/Book Kit" project led by Gary Frost.
Univeristy of Iowa Libraries, and Iowa Center for the Book, Iowa City, IA.

2000-2001
Internship in book printing and binding area. Assitant letterpress printer and binder for the annual publication Winter book project, "the Summer House".
Minnesota Center for Book Arts, Minneapolis, MN.

2000
Assistant printer for the editioned intaglio prints of 45, Minneapolis, MN.

Work-study duties at the Penland School of Cratfs, Penland, NC.

Printer for the restrike editioned photogravure prints of 12 under supervision of Master Printer, Cole Rogers, Minneapolis, MN.

1999
Printer for the editioned intaglio prints of 22 by Michelle Charles under supervision of Master Printer, Cole Rogers, Minneapolis, MN.

2006
Keyholder Emerging Artists' Residency at Lower East Side Printshop; New York, NY.

2005
Jerome Emerging Printmakers' Residency at Highpoint Center for Printmaking; Minneapolis, MN.

Ucross Foundation Artists Residency; Ucross, WY.

OxBow Professional Artsists Residency; Saugatuck, MI.

2004
Paper Award
Heart & Hands exhibition, Mid-America Print Council Conference 2004;
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, NE.

2003-2004
Leola Bergmann/Iowa Print Group Graduate Fellowship
University of Iowa; Iowa City, IA.

2001-2003
Iowa Arts Fellowship, University of Iowa.

2001
William Randolph Hearst Endowed Scholarship, Anderson Ranch Arts Center.

2000
Lucy C. Morgan Fund Scholarship, Penland School of Crafts.

Fine Arts Merit Scholarship/Tom Whites Memorial Fund
Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

1999
Elena Prentice Rulon-Miller Scholarship, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts.

Fine Art Merit Scholarship, Minneapolis College of Art and Design.

2005
"Books Abound"
The Third Floor Gallery, Metropolitan State University; Saint Paul, MN.
Organized by Jeff Rathermel, Artistic Director, Minnesota Center for Book Arts.

"Los Angeles Printmaking Society 18th National Exhibition"
The Armory Center for the Arts; Pasadena, CA. "catalog"
Juror: Ruth Weisberg, Dean of Fine Arts, University of Southern California.
"Bookish"
Start Tribune Foundation Gallery, Minnesota Center for Book Arts; Minneapolis,MN.
"Hand-Pulled Prints XI"
Joan Grona Gallery Blue Star Contemporary Art Complex; San Antonio, TX. “catalog”
Juror:Frances Colpitt, Chair of Art and Art History, University of Texas.

"26th Annual Paper in Particular National Exhibition"
Columbia College Campus Gallery; Columbia, MO. "catalog"
Juror: Kevin Mullins, Professor, Wichita State University.

"1915~2003: a cup of coffee and a slice of toast"
Amanda Jane Armstrong Gallery; Holland Area Arts Council, Holland, MI. (Solo)

"2005 Pacific Rim International Print Exhibition"
University of Hawai'i at Hilo Campus Center Gallery; Hilo, HA. "catalog"
Juror: Richard Hunt, Chicago, IL.

2004
"draw"
Soo Visual Arts Center; Minneapolis, MN. (invitational)

"Heart & Hands: A National Juried Book Art Exhibition for Students"
(Mid-America Print Council) Special Collections of Love Library;
Richards Hall; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln, NE.
Art Gallery; University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE. "Paper Award"

"Rooted in Air"
Eve Drewelowe Gallery; Iowa City, IA. (Solo)

"Artists' Books 2004"
Cuesta College Art Gallery; San Luis Obispo, CA.

"MFA Exhibition"
University of Iowa Museum of Art; Iowa City, IA.

"17th Annual McNeese National Works On Paper Exhibition"
Abercrombie Gallery; Lake Charles, LA. "catalog"
Juror: Mathew Drutt, senior curator, Menil Collection, Huston, TX.

"An Open Book Exhibition"
Gallery West, Cuyahoga Community College; Cleveland, OH. "catalog"
Juror: Julie Friedman, Suzanne Moore, Barbara Chira.

University of Iowa Center for the Book Exhibition
R.S.V.P. (Gallery Walk); Iowa City, IA.

2003
"Backroads & Boulevards"
Printmaking Council of New Jersey Gallery, Somerville, NJ.

2002
"2002 Pacific States Biennial National Print Exhibition"
University of Hawai’i at Hilo Campus Center Gallery, Hilo, HA. "catalogue".

"Pinups", Arts Iowa City Gallery, Iowa City, IA.

"The 3rd National Book and Paper Arts Biennial"
Columbia College Chicago/Center for Book and Paper Arts Gallery, Chicago, IL. "catalogue".

"20th Annual National Small Works Exhibition"
Schoharie County Arts Council Gallery, Cobleskill, NY. "catalogue".

2000
"The Round Trip", Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

"13th Annual McNeese National Works on Paper Exhibition" -- Abercrombie Gallery and Baton Rouge Gallery, Lake Charles, LA. "catalogue".

"Merit Scholarship Award Exhibition", Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

Annual Juried Show "Visual Language", Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

1999
"Merit Scholarship Award Exhibition", Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

Annual Juried Show "Visual Language", Calhoun Square Gallery, Minneapolis, MN.

Rutgers Center for Innovative Print and Paper, Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey.

Southern Graphics Council, University of Mississippi-Oxford.

University of Iowa Libraries: Special Collections.

Holland Area Arts Council, Amanda Jane Armstrong Gallery; Holland, MI.
Gebben Gray Gallery; Fennville, MI
Soo Visual Arts Center; Minneapolis, MN.
The Armory Center for the Arts; Pasadena, CA.
Joan Grona Gallery Blue Star Contemporary Art Complex; San Antonio, TX.
University of Iowa Museum of Art; Iowa City, IA.
Hilo Campus Center Gallery; Hilo, HA.
Start Tribune Foundation Gallery, Minnesota Center for Book Arts; Minneapolis,MN.
Columbia College Campus Gallery; Columbia, MO
Arts Iowa City Gallery; Iowa City, IA.
Columbia College Chicago/Center for Book and Paper Arts Gallery; Chicago, IL
Art Gallery; University of Nebraska-Omaha, NE.
Gallery West, Cuyahoga Community College; Cleveland, OH.
Cuesta College Art Gallery; San Luis Obispo, CA.
Schoharie County Arts Council Gallery; Cobleskill, NY.
Abercrombie Gallery and Baton Rouge Gallery; Lake Charles, LA.
Calhoun Square Gallery; Minneapolis, MN.

New American Paintings, #65 2006

Gail Philbin, "Images reveal cracks in paradise",
Grand Rapids Press, Sunday, February 6, 2005.
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/grpress/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-0/110768850060511.xml

Images reveal cracks in paradise
Sunday, February 06, 2005
By Gail Philbin
The Grand Rapids Press

HOLLAND -- Japanese native and Minneapolis resident Keiko Ishii considers herself a "stranger in paradise" as she's made her way through her adopted homeland, collecting ephemera and other tidbits that document various aspects of her life and travels.

The 28-year-old printmaker and book artist examines and regenerates the memories associated with these collected materials to create a new, time-filtered reality reflected in artwork ranging from map-books to 3-D constructions to paintings. One such investigation on display through March 5 at the Holland Area Arts Council (HAAC) offers West Michigan viewers an intriguing, multi-layered look at the ripple effect across generations of an immigrant's life in the United States.

Metaphors of meaning

The artworks in "1915-2003: a cup of coffee and a slice of toast" tell metaphoric tales about the Aihara family, whom Ishii vaguely describes as having "resided on the western coast of America before and after WWII." She never directly states a connection between her and these people, but leaves ample clues in her works, which seem, at once, intensely personal and emotionally distant.

"The source of content is deeply personal, yet once the work is created and viewed by others, the context of the author is not immediately essential," said Jason Kalajainen, HAAC director. "The artist would like to remain anonymous and would like the audience to be able to react to the piece ... and what they see."

One of the first things viewers sees as they walk into the gallery is a mapbook, "For Seventy Years: Loyal to My Family," that reflects Ishii's printmaking background. The book is a screenprinted collage of documents such as a birth certificate and a map of what looks like a barracks, which leads one to think of Japanese interment camps, given the timeframe of the exhibit.

A silhouette of a family portrait covers the left side of the piece, and a handwritten sentence with no ending -- "They were part of" -- runs across the upper right-hand corner, serving as a subtitle of sorts.

In "Locate," on the opposite wall, Ishii moves away from printmaking to create a series of six box constructions that seem to outline the life of a Japanese man in the early 20th century who settled in Seattle. They follow him as he becomes educated, employed, married and a father and on through, one guesses, his golden years when, perhaps, he enjoyed that titular "cup of coffee and a slice of toast."

At this point, viewers may conclude that Ishii has taken a sentimental trip down memory lane and plumbed fond memories for this exhibit. They would be wrong. If they keep digging, they'll uncover new wrinkles in this family saga.

In the middle of the long, narrow gallery that houses this exhibit hang nine delicate banners of handmade gampi paper bearing dramatic black ink images reminiscent of Japanese landscape paintings. The artist has used some printmaking techniques here, but she also has gone back to that most basic of image-making instruments -- the hand -- to draw what appear to be family trees over these untamed backdrops.

Another look

And if you look closely at the back of these beautiful, opaque scrims, handwriting emerges, like notes in the margins of a diary, to provide a subtext for the larger family tale. It reveals a private anguish: "Why do I not know much about you?" "I wish I could be by Grandpa's dead body instead of you guys. You didn't love him."

Uh oh. There's trouble in this paradise.

According to Ishii's artist statement, handwritten words have a vital role in her artistic process: "Handwritten text leaves traces of emotional impact in the visual form of the writing. This is a conscious decision to provide a personal form to convey more humble and secretive information."

So, Ishii, a printmaker with a master of fine arts from the University of Iowa, one of the best programs in the United States, uses handwriting as a simple, subversive technique to reveal the emotional heart of this exhibit.

Country of Citizenship:
Japan

Birth Place:
Tokyo, Japan

Birth Date:
October 18, 1978

Gender:
Female

Active Place:
New York, NY

Minnesota County:
Hennepin

Printmaker

http://ghosthousepress.com 

Art's Senses
Screen and Stencil
The Farewell Tour
untitled 5