Buxton Books is proud to host artist Hirona Matsuda for an in-store reception celebrating our new window art on marsh birds! This is a free event - no RSVPs required.
Please join us starting at 6:00 pm on Wednesday, February 15 to raise a toast to Buxton’s new marsh bird window displays with the artist - Hirona Matsuda!
Buxton’s window displays have long been beloved by our store patrons and people just passing by. The amount of times we have people come in the store just to compliment them, ask about the artist, and inquire about purchasing them is innumerable.
We love them because our community loves them, but also because it means we get to work with Diana Hambleton - friend of the bookstore and artistic visionary - and the host of talented artist she brings in to help execute her designs.
Statement from Diana Hambleton, friend of the bookstore & artistic visionary:
For the next six weeks, the windows of Buxton Books will recreate the life of South Carolina’s marsh birds as experienced by assemblage sculptor Hirona Matsuda. Inside shadow boxes that hark back to Joseph Cornell, the artist has used happenstance objects, mysterious colors and exquisite craftsmanship to express her observations of the avian world: high on a piling, a kingfisher glares down at his catch; dead ahead, life stirs in a nest hidden by reeds; far away, an owl flees the night and soars to the moon.
There is much visual gratification in just looking at Matsuda’s work. But dig deeper and you will discover more: drawers that open and tunes that play. This is an art with a call to explore – that stimulates curiosity and arouses the senses – and hopefully makes readers want to learn more about their feathered friends.
About Hirona Matsuda:
Hirona Matsuda is a sculptor and installation artist who creates immersive environments that evoke her interpretation of a time and place to create a shared experience. Her work is made from repurposed natural and found materials as well as mechanical components to create kinetic and interactive pieces. She has exhibited throughout the country and kept a studio in downtown Charleston, SC since 2005.
Artist Statement:
The marsh bird series focuses on four species I spent time observing in the tidal marshes of South Carolina over the course of a year. By watching each of them go about their activities I ventured to get a feel for their nature. Like all creatures there were times they awed me and times their antics made me laugh. In the end I was able to recreate my favorite moments using materials I gathered on my excursions.