Devin Gannon Profile story 21 October 2015 Painting Faith Yoshiko Oishi-Weick gets out of her chair, walks a few feet and abruptly turns, her calflength, gray sweater swishing. In the vacant cafeteria of the Wesley Theological Seminary, the only light shines in from the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Massachusetts Avenue. Above the deserted buffet section, the wall reads Be present at our table Lord, be here and everywhere adored. Reenacting a dream she once had, Oishi-Weick ties an imaginary apron around her waist and points to a broken television set where, in reality, there is a wooden table. She picks up her feet in a slow march, her hand at a salute near her dark, curly hair. In this dream, the former governor of California delivers a prophetic, yet unsettling, message to her. The American movie star, Arnold Schwarzenegger, comes out of the broken TV, says Oishi-Weick, 68, still marching. He s walking to me and he says, You will be a famous person in the future. She then quickly sits back down, pretending to hide under a table and cry into her invisible apron. It was a vision from God, she says. Unlike most painters, Yoshiko Oishi-Weick did not grow up with aspirations of becoming an artist. While she knew she had some artistic ability, her role as a mother and wife in Tokyo, Japan took precedence. Then, during her thirties, a neighbor invited Oishi-Weick to a Sumi-e art class, a traditional Asian art which involves painting black ink on rice paper. The instructor of the session praised her work with great enthusiasm and in that moment, she said she felt God s presence directing her towards a new life path. After many years of disciplined practice, Oishi-Weick held her first art show in 1988 at the Yachiyo Group Art Exhibition in Japan. Since then, the artist has seen success all over the world and has received numerous
awards for her paintings. Currently, Oishi-Weick teaches Sumi-e art classes around the country, lectures about the power of art and nature and continues to paint in her Arlington, Virginia home. Although creating art remains Oishi-Weick s most important task, her career has changed later in life. Before, I could work on my art every day, Oishi-Weick says. But now, I do other things like teach and interviews. Sometimes, it s too many things, and I am stressed about it. The quantity of her work not only shows a successful, if short, career, but also one that goes beyond the canvas. At the table where Oishi-Weick sits, there are two binders full of laminated photographs of her paintings, some of her lectures and the occasional family photo. Her face lights up with pride as she points to a picture taken in February of 2015. In the photograph, Oishi-Weick poses with a group of former teachers at a retirement home in Las Vegas, Nevada, each one smiling as they hold their finished black and white paintings in the air. While she s not physically producing a painting every single day, Oishi-Weick continues to live the dedicated life of a Sumi-e artist. My entire life is Sumi-e, I want to contribute until I am done, she says, resting her chin in the palm of hand. We don t know tomorrow, as human beings. But God s plan is huge, so I follow him everywhere. Sumi-e, Japanese for black ink painting, originated over 2,000 years ago in Asia. The earliest practitioners of this art were monks highly trained in concentration and simplicity. In fact, the process of Sumi-e art is often paired with philosophy and mediation. The subject matter of these paintings combine nature scenes, spirituality and calligraphy. Through the postcards, printouts and newspaper articles with her artwork displayed on them, Oishi-Weick explains the uniqueness of Sumi-e paintings.
I think Oriental art is very special, says Oishi-Weick, placing her painted-red fingers on her chest, just below a pearl necklace. Western art uses a lot of color, but I use just black and white. It s unusual, but very elegant. Painters must extensively prepare before beginning their piece. Before even picking up a paintbrush, artists like Oishi-Weick rely on a long period of meditation in order to connect with the art on a spiritual level. Then, the ink stone is prepped, black ink grinded, brush loaded and then, finally, the brush stroke is released onto the rice paper. Oishi-Weick, who moved to the United States in 2004, connects Americans with this ancient craft. The Western world loves my art, says Oishi-Weick as she flips through the binder of photographed paintings. I am a pioneer in Oriental art. As one of the forefront leaders of Sumi-e art movement in the United States, Oishi- Weick teaches individual classes as well as group lectures around the country. Classes include demonstrations by Oishi-Weick as well as one-on-one help painting instruction. Born in South Korea in 1947, Oishi-Weick later moved to Japan and spent a majority of her childhood living in Tokyo. Despite having a family history rooted in art, with a famous artist on her mother s side, and natural artistic ability, it took a while for Oishi-Weick to discover her desired path. Reminiscing on this discovery she smiles, the gray frames of her glasses slightly sliding up the bridge of her nose. I did not really discover it until I believed in God, she says pointing one finger upward and holding it there. God called me and He gave me this power. Throughout her early life, Christianity was always present, but did not become Oishi- Weick s gateway into art until she was much older. As a mother and housewife in Tokyo, she did not feel completely fulfilled.
This is not my life, I thought, she says, her voice nearing a whisper. I was stressed and not happy. After a visit to South Korea, Oishi-Weick witnessed the importance of religion and morning prayer. She not only read the Bible, she studied it. A power emerged within the artist after connecting these testimonies to her own life. Many years later, Oishi-Weick attended an international gospel conference where four countries--japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the United States-- joined together in shared religious beliefs. It was here she met Pastor Kameko, a Japanese church leader who encouraged Oishi- Weick to become more active in the church. He called me, says Oishi-Weick, talking into the telephone she made with her fist. And then he invited me as a lecturer. I went to the library to start writing and it came out so naturally, says Oishi-Weick. After my lecture, there was a lot of applause. And then the pastor invited me to the Wesley Theological Seminary. Although it took a few more persuasive phone calls from her pastor, Oishi-Weick s schedule finally cleared, allowing her to make the long journey from Tokyo to Washington, D.C. As the Artist-in-Residence at the Seminary, located in the Northwest quadrant of the city, Oishi-Weick integrated the arts into the theological education supported by the institution. From there, her art career in the United States took off. In 2005, Oishi-Weick hosted her first solo art exhibition in Washington at the Metropolitan Memorial United Methodist Church, located adjacent to American University s campus. There, she presented the exhibition, The Realization of My Hope, an ode to her late discovery of her talents in Sumi-e art.
During this time, Oishi-Weick met Robert Weick, an engineer living in Arlington, who expressed interested in one of her paintings. After over a one-year-courtship, and finally a purchased painting, Weick proposed, later becoming 58 year-old Oishi-Weick s second husband. The ministry introduced us, she says. I showed him many paintings, but he never bought one--until he finally did. On the hunt for some art to decorate his condominium, a friend led Robert to Oishi- Weick s studio at Wesley. He remembers the first time they met vividly. When I arrived at Yoshiko s studio, I found her interesting and very excited about her black and white paintings, Weick says. To be truthful, I was more interested in the artist than in the art. Weick, who grew up near New York City and later became a Rutgers University graduate, is most proud of his wife s ability to share her beliefs on an international level. Despite running into some cultural clashes, the couple finds uniting in faith as the best way to solve marital problems. When these conflicts occur, I have found it best for us to pray, says Weick. As we pray, we ask the Lord to lead us to be considerate of the other s feelings and to show us His will for us. The year 2008 proved to be very successful for Oishi-Weick. She taught classes at the Smithsonian s Freer and Sackler Galleries, which specialize in Asian art exhibitions, and also had a showcase at the Japan Embassy Culture Center. I had a very big exhibition at the Japanese Embassy, she says, beaming through her red lipstick. I had 83 paintings on display. That s a record.
At this moment in time, none of Oishi-Weick s plans involve standing still. Looking ahead, she hopes to publish a book, focusing on her art in America, as well as a small biography about her personal life. Despite using only black ink, Oishi-Weick, manages to find color in most situations. There have been many highs and lows, she says, tapping her fingers to the beat of each word. But to be successful, you need hope, love and patience. The October sun shines brightly into the dark cafeteria, yet Yoshiko Oishi-Weick does nothing to shield her eyes from its harsh rays. In fact, it s almost as if she is looking directly at the light, admiring the way it makes the trees and plants look so green. Perhaps the manner in which she studies nature comes across in her Sumi-e artwork, allowing those viewing her art to see vibrant color in her monochromatic paintings. Although Oishi-Weick recognizes her talent as remarkable, she gives most of the credit to God. We cannot live without God, she says, her gaze through the window, again a finger pointed to the sky above. God gives me everything. Nodding at the Poland Spring water bottle in front of her, she says: Just like we need water. Without it, we die.