Author Archives: Peter Bakelaar

Our lives have scars. Scars are part of the process of healing. A common question among friends is, ‘How did you get that scar? Tell me your story.’ Telling our stories brings us closer together. …

Congratulations to Peter Bakelaar for winning the Grand Prix Prize at the Central Photo Contest in Nagoya, Japan. The timing was perfect for spreading awareness of the opening of Gallery Nani a week later! …

I am a member of a community art group made up of Japanese from many different backgrounds. We exhibit in downtown Nagoya twice a year. Each exhibition theme is chosen by the director. For an upcoming group exhibition entitled The Color of Buddhism, I started making this piece The Great Exchange. It represents my friend’s experience and invites questions about the great exchange needed for heaven in death. What kind of exchange is fair for both rich and poor? What kind of exchange would be sufficient for people from every tribe, tongue, and nation? What kind of exchange would involve both justice and mercy even for those who have done terrible things? What kind of exchange would make heaven assured? What kind of exchange gives peace to someone facing their own mortality? …

Rolling Geta (2020) was displayed, along with over 20 other works, on February 1, 2020 at Oyumino Christian Center, Chiba, Japan as part of a community art festival. This particular piece was part of an earlier exhibition in Nagoya entitled, The Color of Balance …

Shamisen Cat and Cat Hondana were displayed during the Seto Cat Festival October 4-6, 2019 to participate in the life of the community, engage traditional cultural issues, and introduce Studio Nani …