Urban Landscape Painter Kaori Maeyama to Deliver Artist Talk on Campus
By Hayden Bergman
New Orleans: Sound of Drifting Shadows. Such is the name of the current exhibition at the O’Kane Gallery here at UHD, and it begs the question: What sounds do shadows make?
The artist behind this solo exhibition, Kaori Maeyama, will be on campus at 2:30 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 5, to discuss this and other, perhaps more probing, questions. As an artist experienced not only in painting but in film and video, Maeyama has a unique perspective on the relationship between sight and sound, and so her artist talk is not to be missed.
The exhibition is on display until Oct. 19 and features 17 paintings created between 2016 and 2023. Curated by Mark Cervenka, Professor of Art and Director of the O’Kane Gallery, it includes paintings of dark street corners and industrial landscapes, as well as monochromatic compositions in ink. Aided by the use of brayers, squeegees, and a dark tonal palette, New Orleans: Sound of Drifting Shadows highlights the city’s mundane vignettes, from desolate residential neighborhoods to uncanny industrial environments. 
Maeyama is an urban landscape painter based in New Orleans. After relocating from Fukuoka, Japan, in 1994, she obtained a B.A. in Film Production from the University of New Orleans and an MFA in painting from Tulane University. Her work has been exhibited at LeMieux Galleries and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and in 2020, she participated in the Artist-in-Residency program at the Joan Mitchell Center.
The Harry W. O'Kane Gallery, established in 1970, is proud to host Maeyama and her important and timely work. This and all other exhibitions are free and open to the public.
Visiting the Gallery
The O’Kane Gallery is located on the third floor of the Girard Street Building, GSB322.
The University of Houston-Downtown (UHD) is the second-largest university in Houston and has served the educational needs of the nation’s fourth-largest city since 1974. As one of four distinct public universities in the University of Houston System, UHD is a comprehensive, four-year university led by President Loren J. Blanchard. Annually, UHD educates approximately 14,000 students, boasts more than 66,000 alumni, and offers 45 bachelor’s degrees, 12 master’s degrees, and 19 online programs within four colleges: Marilyn Davies College of Business, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Public Service, and College of Sciences and Technology. UHD has one of the lowest tuition rates in Texas.
U.S. News and World Report ranked UHD among the nation’s Best Online Bachelor’s Programs for Applied Administration and Best Online Master’s Programs in Criminal Justice, as well as a Top Performer in Social Mobility. The Wall Street Journal/College Pulse ranked UHD one of the best colleges in the U.S. for its 2024 rankings, with notable distinctions: No. 1 for diversity (tied) and No. 3 for student experience. The University is designated as a Hispanic-Serving Institution, a Minority-Serving Institution, and a Military Friendly School. For more information on the University of Houston-Downtown, visit uhd.edu.
