Makoto Fujimura

ArtistWriter

Jun 27

5 min read ⭑

“My practice of painting and making leads me directly to worship. Making is a path toward greater awareness and integration.”

As a leading contemporary artist and a believer, Makoto Fujimura brings his love for Jesus into every painting. His popular “slow art” requires dozens of layers of pulverized minerals and hours upon hours of patience, but the results are certainly worth it. And with his thoughtful approach to art and writing, it’s no surprise that his works have won numerous awards, including the Aldersgate Prize for "Silence and Beauty" (IV Press).

In this interview, Makoto does more than simply answer our standard eight questions. He gives us a glimpse at the God-given passion and creativity that have driven him throughout his career.

QUESTION #1: ACQUAINT

There’s much more to food than palate and preference. How does a go-to meal at your favorite hometown restaurant reveal the true you behind the web bio?

My bride, Haejin, is Korean-American, so naturally, we have been enjoying a lot of Korean food as of late. As a Japanese-American, I am accustomed to having many different types of Asian foods, but Korean food is very distinctive and delicious!

There are many good restaurants in the Fort Lee, New Jersey, area where Haejin’s law office is, so I am enjoying discovering them one by one. And of course, no restaurant can match the deep hospitality and taste of a home-cooked meal by Haejin’s mom, who also lives here.

QUESTION #2: REVEAL

We’ve all got quirky proclivities and out-of-the-way interests. So what are yours? What so-called “nonspiritual” activities do you love and help you find spiritual renewal?

I love seeing bluebirds nest in the boxes I have prepared for them here at Fuji farm, my farmhouse studio and home in Princeton. Their deep blue (especially of the male feathers) is much like the favorite mineral I use in my Nihonga material — pulverized azurite.

I heard recently from a friend that the brightness of a male bluebird’s feathers is determined by how much wear and tear the bird experiences in winter. In other words, the more the male bird suffers in surviving the winters, the brighter his feathers are. This reminds me of how beauty can be brought out of our sufferings as well.

QUESTION #3: CONFESS

Every superhero has a weakness. Every human, too. We’re just good at faking it. But who are we kidding? We’re broken and in this thing together. So what’s your kryptonite and how do you hide it?

As an artist and high introvert, I can only be out in the public sphere for a limited time. I’d rather focus on my art alone in my studio.

It’s only my call from Christ to speak for those who cannot (including many artists who do not have a public platform) that gets me to present.

QUESTION #4: FIRE UP

Tell us about your toil. How are you investing your professional time right now? What’s your obsession? And why should it be ours?

In my studio in Princeton, I have many projects going. I start the day by working on a 48”x48” canvas of a Psalm meditation. I do one psalm, listening to that psalm over and over, per month. So it will take me over 14 years to complete all 150 Psalms. They are mediations (using very limited materials) and not illuminations. I do not do them to exhibit, but when I share like this, people get curious, so I did post some of them on my Instagram (@iamfujimura) account.

Then I have several larger pieces that I work on, some commissions or some for museum exhibits. As I “watch my paintings dry,” I read and write. I am currently working on an essay regarding Modernist painter Mark Rothko, requested by Yale Press (the publisher of my book “Art+Faith: A Theology of Making”) and Mark Rothko’s estate.

QUESTION #5: BOOST

Cashiers, CEOs, contractors or customer service reps, we all need grace flowing into us and back out into the world. How does the Holy Spirit invigorate your work? And how do you know it’s God when it happens?

I have sensed the presence of the Holy Spirit when I paint as far as I can recall as a child. I did not become a follower of Christ until my late 20s, though.

In fact, I call my conversion an “inversion” as the voice of Jesus matched perfectly with the flow of energy going through me when I painted. The studio is the most sacred place I know.

QUESTION #6: inspire

Scripture and tradition beckon us into the rich and varied actions that open our hearts to the presence of God. So, spill it, which spiritual practice is workin' best for you right now?

My practice of painting and making leads me directly to worship. Making is a path toward greater awareness and integration.

The very materials I use, minerals, must be pulverized by hand to be made into materials to create paint. The process of painting reveals so much grace, as my writings have mentioned.

QUESTION #7: FOCUS

Our email subscribers get free ebooks featuring our favorite resources — lots of things that have truly impacted our faith lives. But you know about some really great stuff, too. What are some resources that have impacted you?

I wrote my recent book based on my reading of “Surprised by Hope” by Bishop N.T. Wright, and was privileged to have him write a foreword to “Art+Faith: A Theology of Making” (Yale Press).

Many of the books I quote, including Madeleine L’Engle’s “Walking on Water” as well as Dorothy Sayer’s “The Mind of the Maker,” have deeply influenced me.

We all have things we cling to to survive (or thrive) in tough times. Name one resource you’ve found indispensable in this current season — and tell us what it’s done for you.

The practice and tradition of Kintsugi (golden mending) which flows out of the Japanese art of tea (particularly of Sen no Rikyu) has been an important aspect of my art, my writings and my life.

My wife and I relaunched Academy Kintsugi as a result and have seen remarkable stories come out of our experiences from Princeton to Mumbai. (You can learn more at embersinternational.org.)

QUESTION #8: dream

God is continually stirring new things in each of us. So, give us the scoop! What’s beginning to stir in you but not yet fully awakened? What can we expect from you in the future?

I am currently working on ambitious projects to create permanent ways for people to experience my art as well as to experiment with digital media (including the metaverse) to develop a new understanding of Kainos reality of “new newness” that I speak about in my books and essays.

We want all things to benefit the children we work with through Embers International, which my wife co-founded, so we are dreaming and planning. It is exciting yet daunting, but we have many great supporters to guide us.

The world is quick to label people “damaged goods.” Whether it’s because of a health problem, a shameful mistake or a traumatic event, the implication is the same: “You’re no longer worthy.”

But what does the Bible say? The apostle Paul wrote, “God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God” (1 Corinthians 1:28,29, ESV).

While the world may toss aside people who don’t meet certain standards, God won’t. Instead, his work in us is not unlike the Japanese art of Kintsugi, which mends shattered pottery with gold-dusted lacquer. No matter what we’ve been through or what we’ve done, Jesus’ love fuses together the shattered pieces of our lives.

In Christ, we’re not damaged goods. We’re healed — more beautiful than ever.

Makoto Fujimura is a leading contemporary artist whose process-driven, refractive “slow art” has been described by David Brooks of The New York Times as “a small rebellion against the quickening of time.” Fujimura is the author of Art+Faith: A Theology of Making out of Yale Press. He is a recipient of four Doctor of Arts Honorary Degrees from Belhaven University, Biola University, Cairn University and Roanoke College. He is a founder of iamculturecare.com and Fujimura Institute and co-founder of Academy Kintsugi.