Honoring Artist Masami Kodama
Sculpture Dedication and Unveiling
Saturday, June 22nd, 2019 - 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
In the Guild Hall Gallery
New Additions to the Permanent Collection
Two important marble sculptures by contemporary Japanese sculptor, Masami Kodama, have been donated to the permanent collection of The Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden as of November 2018.
On June 22, 2019, the sculptures will be unveiled during a dedication ceremony honoring the artist and his wife arriving from Japan. This will be held with the Opening Reception of the Summer Exhibits for 2019.
The two sculptures are carved in smooth, polished marble:
one in white (Cube on Möbius Strip, 2004) and one in pink marble (Pink Möbius, 2005).
The sculptures are in the form of Möbius bands, named after a
German mathematician, that take the shape of curves that
have only one side, when revealed as geometric forms in space. The Möbius strip is a physical representation in marble of an eternal concept of movement, time and space.
They were acquired for the Hammond Museum and Japanese Stroll Garden’s permanent collection through the auspices of Kodama’s representative in the United States, James McElhinney, an expert on Japanese art.
Kodama was present as a child in Hiroshima in 1945, searing ideas of fragility and suffering in his memory. His works are elegant abstractions in marble, in the permanent collections of many museums, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The two sculptures are installed in two separate dedicated niches of the main Guild Hall Gallery of the Hammond Museum, with brass plaques acknowledging the donors and the Gift.
The Hammond is grateful to our sponsors and partners in this program, including:
The New York Token Kai, Center for Remembering and Sharing, New York; ArtsWestchester; M&T Bank; Westchester County Government; J.C.C. Fund, U.S.-Japan Friendship.
Additional Funding provided by Our Members and Donors, Community Partners.
We additionally thank Chris Chen, Peter Bass, Francine Barron Mathews, Stephanie Schieber, Ansell Bray, James McElhinney, Vernon and Nancy Beck, and Mr. and Mrs. Masami Kodama.