A Retrospective Selection
An exhibition of artwork by Stephen Addiss
March 28 - April 19, 2025
Main Gallery
Artist Statement: Stephen Addiss
(The text below was provided to Francis Thompson by Stephen Addiss as a statement around 2020 or earlier.)
Stephen Addiss (American, 1935-2022) was an artist, scholar, and educator, whose ink paintings, calligraphy, and ceramics were exhibited in China, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, England, Germany, and in many museums and galleries across the United States.
Following the traditional Asian scholar-artist philosophy, Addiss believed that practicing poetry, music, calligraphy, and painting together deepens artistic expression, as each discipline enriches the other. For example, he found that poetry gives rise to calligraphy, which helps to unlock the secrets of brush painting, while music and dance inform the ever-changing rhythm of all brushwork. He saw his own work as a contemporary addition to the continuous stream of East Asian literati art that has been flowing for a millennium, and that now has also taken root in the West. This exhibition includes a selection of brush paintings that are indicative of Addiss’ combination of Japanese calligraphy and artistic style. Also included are ceramics made using the traditional Japanese anagama wood-firing technique.
Biography:
Stephen Luh Addiss, Ph.D. Dr. Addiss (1935 – 2022) was Tucker-Boatwright Professor in the Humanities: Art at the University of Richmond, Virginia, and taught previously at the University of Kansas. His unwavering dedication to his craft, intellectual prowess, and kind-hearted nature touched countless individuals’ lives and left an indelible mark on the art community.
Born in 1935, Stephen Addiss developed a fascination with Japanese art and culture during musical tours of Asia in the late 1960s and 1970s. As part of the folk duo Addiss and Crofut, Stephen and Bill Crofut, recorded multiple folk music records with Columbia Records and traveled extensively. Addiss grew a deep appreciation for the elegant simplicity and contemplative nature of Japanese aesthetics, which would become a defining characteristic of his work. He embarked on a lifelong journey to explore and master the techniques of ink painting, calligraphy, ceramics, music composition, and haiku poetry.
Living in Japan in the 1970s, Addiss immersed himself in the rich traditions of Zen Buddhism and its profound influence on Japanese art. He studied under renowned Japanese masters, refining his skills and developing a unique artistic voice that blended the traditional and the contemporary. His brushstrokes captured the essence of nature and the transient beauty of the world, evoking a sense of harmony and serenity.
Addiss’ contributions as a scholar and educator were equally profound. He dedicated himself to researching, writing, and teaching about Japanese art, sharing his knowledge and passion with students and fellow enthusiasts around the globe. His publications and lectures provided invaluable insights into Japanese art’s aesthetic principles and cultural significance, and he authored numerous books on Asian aesthetics, Zen art, and haiku, including The Art of Zen and Haiku: An Anthology of Japanese Poems.ce, earning him widespread acclaim and respect in academic circles.
Unknown
Rustlings of Heaven
Chawan