Presented by Sai Clayton
$60 members; $75 not-yet-members (gallery admission, and parking validation included)
Ages 18+ only; space is limited; all skill levels are welcome.
Join Sai Clayton for this workshop inspired by the exhibition Journey through Japan: Myths to Manga and delve into the prevalence of kawaii, or cuteness, in Japanese art and culture. Participants will begin by exploring the origins of cuteness in Japanese artwork, tracing kawaii’s influence on modern-day icons like Pokémon and Sanrio characters as well as Japanese contemporary artists like Yoshitomo Nara and Takashi Murakami. Through an exploration of materials and imagery, we’ll examine what makes something cute, how cuteness has been embraced in Japanese culture, and how it has influenced global art and design.
In this mixed-media workshop, participants will use collage, printmaking, Xerox transfer, and a variety of 2D mixed media to engage in the process of “making cute.” Participants are encouraged to bring personal materials—photos, sketches, or objects—that they would like to transform or reference in their exploration of cuteness. Whether it’s transforming an existing character or person into a cuter version of themself or designing a brand-new kawaii character from scratch, we will play with a variety of materials to express ourselves through cuteness.
About the Teaching Artist
Sai Clayton (she/her) is a Nashville-based visual artist and curator. Clayton’s work situates self-portraiture and cultural icons as representations of transcultural paradoxes. Her recent exhibitions include: neutral zone, The Forge (2024); Game of Two Halves, Electric Shed (2024); HĀFU, Random Sample (2023); Art of the South, Zeitgeist (2022); and Drawers, Adult Contemporary (2022). Residencies include State Gallery, Stove Works, and the Hamblet Artist-in-Residence at Vanderbilt University. She is the curatorial director at COOP Gallery in Nashville and the executive director of Number: INC magazine. She was previously an Americans for the Arts Diversity in Arts Leadership intern at OZ Arts, and was the 2021–22 curatorial fellow at the Frist Art Museum. She holds a BA in visual arts from Middle Tennessee State University.
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