Noriko Hasegawa
Born: 1933, in Toyama, Japan
Medium: Watercolor

After receiving a Ph.D. in Pharmacy from prestigious Tokyo University, Noriko worked for fifteen years doing laboratory research, and then moved to the United States in 1971. Her artistic pursuits were primarily devoted to Ikebana (Japanese flower arranging), and garden design in order to have ready access to materials for Ikebana. Noriko began to paint in 1981, and naturally her first themes were the flowers she had been growing, as well as the colorful Koi (Japanese carp). She has been mostly self-taught, with some additional training at workshops in Pennsylvania and New York.

Noriko Hasegawa has always had a special fondness for examining the diverse effects of sunlight and shadow, and often paints from a close-up perspective. Recently, she has been challenging herself with less colorful and more mundane subjects, such as doorways, stairs or sofas. These works have a very linear design and are not naturally as colorful. Hence the artist uses gradations and a layering of color to create an organic pattern, and to add nonlinear texture to the inherent geometry of the subject matter. Here, even shadow areas have a wealth of subtle variations in hue, and there is a broad color range found in the reflections of light upon a wall.

A resident of Sebastopol since 1987, Noriko Hasegawa savors the quality of light found throughout Sonoma County. Now she investigates a variety of themes both interior and outdoors, from Japan and the US. She actively pursues her art as a full member in Allied Artists of America, Audobon Artists, Watercolor West, the California Watercolor Association, National Association of Women Artists, and the National Watercolor Society.

Selected Exhibitions:
Stanford University, Palo Alto--One Woman Show
Midwest Watercolor Society Exhibition--Award Winner
San Francisco State University--One Woman Show
France-Japan Exhibition, Paris, Tokyo, Osaka
Marin Art Guild Open, Larkspur--Best in Show Award
Triton Art Museum Biennial, CA--Two Awards
Watercolor Art Society-Houston Invitational, Texas--Award Winner
Kentucky Watercolor Society Juried Exhibitions--Award Winner
Sacramento Fine Arts National Open Exhibition--Award Winner
Mississippi Watercolor Society Grand National--Award Winner
Northern Vermont Artists Association--Merit Award
Audobon Artists Annual Exhibition, New York City--Awards Winner five times
Eastbay Watercolor Exhibition, Berkeley, California--Award Winner
National Watercolor Society--Award, 1997 and 1995

Selected Collections:
National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, DC
San Francisco Art Commision, CA
Toyama Medical University, Japan
Marriott Hotel, Reston, VA
SUNY Plattsburgh Art Museum, NY
Kaiser Permanente, Vallejo, CA
Appalachian State University, NC
Zimmerli Art Museum, Rutgers State University
Redwood City Public Library, CA