In the Curator’s Words is an occasional series that takes a critical look at current exhibitions through the eyes of curators.
Shizuko Greenblatt was raised in a home that put an emphasis on the arts. So it’s no surprise that she pursued the visual arts in her adult life, having studied Western style art at UCLA and taken private lessons from the late artist Vicki Dolnick.
Greenblatt, who lives in Los Angeles, has been featured in exhibitions all around the world, including the USC Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena and the Kitakyushu Municipal Museum of Art in Kitakyushu, Japan.
In 2024, she participated in an international exhibition at the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, where she received a gold medal for “Rejuvenation,” the digital fusion of her painting and photographic works. She was also featured in GZ Basel 2012, Invitational Exhibition by Galeria Zero, in Basel, Switzerland; the Los Angeles Airport Exhibition and many more venues.
Greenblatt’s work is on display at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum in Balboa Park. The solo show, titled “Uplift the Human Spirit,” is on view through April 26.
Greenblatt, who curated the solo exhibition, took some time to talk about her work.
“Hope” (mixed media) by Shizuko Greenblatt is part of the “Uplift the Human Spirit” exhibit at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum in Balboa Park. (Shizuko Greenblatt)
Q: This exhibition showcases three distinct kinds of artistic approaches: calligraphy, ikebana and photography. Can you tell us more about what the viewer will see or experience when walking through the exhibition?
A: The exhibition is divided into three parts: “Expressive Calligraphy,” “Fusion Ikebana” and “Female Energy Photography.” All fall under the umbrella of the exhibition’s title, “Uplift the Human Spirit.” Therefore, viewers will see vitality, enthusiasm, passion for life, hope … something uplifting and useful.
Q: This exhibition is described as a “dynamic fusion of tradition and innovation.” Please tell us more about this interesting juxtaposition of old and new.
A: I was born in an old samurai family in Japan and brought up in the traditional Japanese artistic environment. After graduating from Aoyama Gakuin University in Tokyo, I studied Western style art at UCLA under the noted artist Vicki Dolnick. It came very naturally to me to create fusion art with energetic, uplifting and useful art due to my upbringing and Western style art training later.
Q: How did you come up with the concept of this exhibition, titled “Uplift the Human Spirit”?
A: It all goes back to my artist statement, which has always been as follows: “I attempt to activate and uplift human souls through transformed art elements, including Japanese characters and symbolism. Past and present, known and unknown, East and West meet to create a contemporary dialogue conveying my passion for life and my eternal good wishes for all the people of the world.”
“Passion for Life” (acrylic on canvas) by Shizuko Greenblatt is part of the “Uplift the Human Spirit” exhibit at the Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum in Balboa Park. (Shizuko Greenblatt)
Q: How long did it take you to work on this exhibition?
A: This exhibition is a kind of retrospective solo exhibition. Therefore, I have created all these works in the years between 2008 and 2025.
Q: What was the most challenging part of putting this exhibition together?
A: I have always created large artwork to convey my art theme better. I had to change some of the pieces I previously planned to show to different ones three months before the exhibition to accommodate the exhibition space.
Q: What do you hope the viewer will take away from this exhibition?
A: Overall, I hope viewers who see the exhibition will experience the positive themes and concepts I tried to express through my artwork — themes like vitality, happiness, hope, strength and beauty.
“Uplift the Human Spirit”
When: Through April 26
Where: Japanese Friendship Garden & Museum, 2215 Pan American Road E., San Diego
Admission: $16 general admission; $14 students, seniors 65 and up and military; free for children ages 6 and under
Phone: 619-232-2721
Online: niwa.org