Harue Shimomoto received her MFA in the UW-Madison’s Department of Art, where she developed a body of work that moves beyond the wall to create pathways through a complex network of glass rods, transforming any space into a meditative journey. Shimomoto received her BFA from Tokyo’s Mushashino Art University in 1995, and also spent time studying at the Cleveland Institute of Art. Her current work is supported by some of the top galleries across the country.

“Harue Shimomoto manipulates glass into sculptural tapestries, examining the aesthetic possibilities in fusing methods and concepts from the mediums of glass and fiber. For this installation at the Design Gallery, her work moves beyond the wall to create pathways through a complex network of glass rods, transforming the gallery’s space into a meditative journey. Shimomoto prizes simplicity and clarity, seeking to distill her impressions into forms which express their essence. This precisely arranged glass environment captures her experience of a particular aspect of each season: a summer storm, a quiet autumn rain, the crisp, cold winter night sky, and the reflective surface of a spring pond. “I appreciate the feelings I get from even the most unspectacular nature, and the small things in everyday life,” Shimomoto says. “I find the small beauties of nature are the ones that most change my view.” The fragility of a glass environment has an immediate visceral impact, which Shimomoto appreciates. But she says, “I do not want the viewer to be too conscious of the glass. I almost believe that glass itself is too beautiful to be a medium. Many people see glass as functional object or decorative material. I want to break those images of glass and give it a different quality. Therefore, I am careful to make my work stronger than the medium.” In her work Shimomoto is striving for what she calls “a strong quiet: the quiet of a mountain.” – written by Jody Clowes

"Kaiki" by Harue Shimomoto