Menu
The Writing on the Wall
July 3 – August 24, 2024
Opening Reception:
Friday July 12, 2024
5:00 – 8:00 pm
Green Door Art Gallery presents The Writing on the Wall, an intriguing mix of calligraphy and text artwork. The exhibit features Japanese calligraphy by Kaori Ishijima, mixed media paintings by Clark Medley and Deb Douglas, and Raku pottery by Nancy Exarhu. The artwork will be on display and available for sale July 3 – August 24, 2024
Join us for the opening reception on Friday July 12, 2024 5:00 – 8:00 pm
Kaori Ishijima - Master of Japanese Calligraphy
Kaori Ishijima was born in Aichi, Japan. She began practicing calligraphy at the age of 7 and has been learning it for 45 years. She is a skilled professional calligraphy artist who has spent a total of 18 years working mainly in Europe before moving to St. Louis two years ago. Many of her students seek a calligraphy class similar to meditative experience. She creates artwork, holds numerous exhibitions, and has received many prestigious awards. She has also successfully participated in numerous events throughout Europe. Currently, she aims to promote the beauty of calligraphy in St. Louis.
Clark Medley - Mixed Media
Clark Medley (born 1971) is an international artist, who currently splits his time between residences in the small town of Fairview Heights, Illinois (just outside of St. Louis, Missouri) and New Orleans’s lower 7th ward. He started his professional career as a Tattoo Artist and over the last 34 years has honed his skills in a variety of mediums. Clarks travels have influenced his works over the years allowing him to make various series of works. Skills include carving large scale woodcuts, sculpting, illustrating, tattooing, and painting. In the early 2000’s he attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville focusing on sculpture to expand his knowledge and skills which would further his career aspirations. By the 2010’s he began using paint in the study of dancing forms which lead to the creation of a cryptic language. After creating and refining these forms into a complete set of symbols he began to explore using the contrast of color and texture and different techniques to balance the symbols in an eloquent manner. He has assembled this collection in a way that is sophisticated, modern and contemporary. The inspiration for this collection is rooted in his dyslexia which created difficulty reading and spelling in school. Clark’s inner spirit to triumph over adversity drove him to take his biggest weakness and turn it into his biggest strength. He paints daily but will work with any medium, his style is easily recognizable in any form.
Deb Douglas - Mixed Media
I work with a variety of materials, subjects, and themes in my art. The consistent
practice of mixing media, content, and formal approaches is innate and familiar to me
and is the foundation of all the artwork I make. Meaning in my work happens through
the proximity of formal and conceptual elements. Using text in my work informs
meaning, but is intended to equally serve as a visual element.
Nancy Exarhu - Raku Ceramic Bowls
I am an artist who has a painting diploma from the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence
Italy, an MFA in printmaking from Washington University and I have studied ceramics at
SLCC / Meramec.
I have taught printmaking, paper making, painting, book making at the St. Louis Art
Museum, Craft Alliance, Laumeier Sculpture Park, local high schools and I have given
many workshops as a visiting artist in St. Louis, Greece, France, Italy.
Since 2016 I devote my time, attention and energy almost exclusively to ceramics.
Decades of experience of painting and printing, led me to my first ceramic installation,
“ Birds and seashells”, that was shown in May 2016 at the SLCC / Meramec College
Gallery of Contemporary Art.
I expanded my forming abilities in ceramics making hand built vessels The
characteristic of this work is the extreme thinness and the lightweight of my vessels, an
homage to the paper I have been using making art all of my life.
I have always admired the ceramics of American Indians and noted their similarity to
the Neolithic ceramics of Greece.
The Japanese notion of wabi sabi also gave me the freedom to dare making objects
that seem imperfect and are extraordinarily thin, and that I personally consider them
sculptural.
I discovered that though I have been a visual artist for many years with shows,
residencies and teaching experience, no other discipline has generated a passion
similar to the one I have for ceramics.
Mainly because in ceramics, painting and mark making merge effortlessly with great
results.
I am practicing daily. I read about ceramics and I try new techniques, forms and clay
bodies.
I get a thrill from the subtle aroma of the wet clay and the unexpected results from
wood fired ceramics and raku.
I have had the good luck to have my work appreciated and collected.
My ceramics are sold at the shop of Craft Alliance, the shop at the Contemporary Art
Museum and the Union Studio boutique in Webster Groves.
I was born and raised in Thessaloniki, Greece. Since I took a pencil in my hand I have been
drawing and writing. I fell in love with Florence, Italy where I decided to go there and study
painting. I made St. Louis my home town of choice, where I have taught Art and had many shows.
Exploring the magic world of ceramics I make raku bowls that are one of a kind and some of
them paper thin and lightweight.
They are a metaphor for Love.
Love is sublime,
Love is fragile.
Love is beautiful.
Love is imperfect
Just like this bowl.
Keep it safe and
Cherish it.
Nancy Exarhu
