Hurricanes, Mosquitos, and an Artist, Oh My!

July is the onslaught of mosquitos and hurricanes, yet inspiration can be found among such annoying and destructive entities by artists. “Our life cannot be separated from our surrounding,” shares Harumi Abe, the July Artist-in-Residence. “Each one of us has a profound relationship with the natural world. Mother Nature can be gentle or comforting, but sometimes destructive.”

Japanese native, Harumi Abe, relocated herself to Miami at age 19 to pursue her dream of studying art.  She now makes her art in a homemade studio in her backyard in Hollywood, FL.

Ms. Abe’s interests in art are in the personal and the emotional. Ms. Abe expresses, “The main issues of my work are not formally convoluted but rather simple observations and interpretations of life.” The idea of home has been her particular interest, since she is living away from home in Japan. “Home is where we experience many of our most personal and intimate moments,” explains Ms. Abe, “and it is where our memories reside long after we have moved on.”

Many of Ms. Abe’s works embody some of her personal journeys to find home. “We build houses hoping to create something new but mostly recreate the familiar places that comfort us. Every corner that I explore partly becomes Japan, my homeland.”

To read Harumi Abe’s entire biography, please visit our website at http://www.nps.gov/ever/supportyourpark/everairiecalendar.htm.