Vitality in Ink - A Special Exhibition Celebrating 2025 AAPI Heritage Month at CCACC Art Gallery
The CCACC Art Gallery will host the opening reception of the exhibition "Vitality in Ink" on Saturday, May 3, 2025, at 2:00 PM. This exhibition features a joint showcase by six top-award artists from the 60th Annual Exhibition of Sumi-e Society of America. Participating artists include Dongpei He, Satomi Kamei, Ann Kozeliski, Deanne Kroll, SimOnaVinš Němcová, and Fumiyo Yoshikawa. Using brush and ink as their medium, the six artists seamlessly blend traditional techniques with contemporary expression, presenting the rich diversity and vibrant vitality of ink wash painting.
This exhibition also serves as a special celebration by the CCACC Art Gallery in honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month 2025. We sincerely invite all art enthusiasts to join us and experience the timeless elegance and modern flair of the ink painting world.
As the invited judge for the 60th Annual Exhibition of Sumi-e Society of America and the senior advisor of CCACC Art Gallery, Dr. Kit-Keung Kan has specially written the following piece to share his insights on the featured works, as well as the curatorial inspiration and artistic significance behind this meaningful group exhibition.
(The following is Dr. Kan's original text)
Sixty Years of Artistic Legacy
I served as the judge for the 60th Annual Exhibition of the National Sumi-e Society of America in 2023 and was very impressed with the submissions. Twenty prizes were awarded for paintings and five for calligraphy. It was my honor to present the awards to the outstanding artists featured in the exhibition. After the exhibition, I invited six top awardees to showcase their work in the CCACC Art Gallery.
East Asian Ink Art Blossoms in the United States
Sumi-e is a Japanese term for ink painting. The National Sumi-e Society was established in 1963 by New York-based artist Motoi Oi, who hoped this traditional East Asian medium would evolve with new vitality in the contemporary American context. The Society was very successful early on and has flourished tremendously over time. Today, it has numerous chapters across various states and cities in the United States. Sumi-e painting and calligraphy are practiced by individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds in the U.S. The artists participating in this exhibition include those with heritage from both East and West.
The ancient Chinese art critic and theorist Xie He (謝赫, who lived during the 5th to 6th centuries CE) emphasized that chi (氣) and yun (韻)—Vital energy and rhythm must be present and expressed with vitality in any good piece of artwork. This vitality is palpable in the works displayed in this exhibition. It resonates through the brush strokes, colors, shading, and overall composition.
The Visual Vocabularies of the Six Artists
The participating artists represent a diverse range of styles, blending traditional spirit with contemporary expression to infuse ink art with fresh energy. Among them, Dongpei He employed contemporary collage techniques to create a super-sharp edge for her peony, which stands out from the blurred and distant background. Satomi Kamei, born and raised in Hiroshima, Japan, promotes peace and beauty through her four-paneled painting of the Four Seasons. Ann Kozeliski incorporates installation art to enhance what would otherwise be a two-dimensional series of portraits of homeless people. Deanne Kroll integrates meditation and Qigong into her creative process, while Zen principles and practices are utilized to conceptualize the abstract paintings of Fumiyo Yoshikawa. Meanwhile, the fine-lined compositions in Four Elements by SimOnaVinš Němcová are captivating—they can hold your imagination for hours and would not let you walk away.
"Vitality in Ink" not only showcases the diverse visual language of ink art, but also highlights its continuous innovation and cultural connections within the context of contemporary art. Through the medium of brush and ink, the artists transcend boundaries of geography, culture, and time—infusing traditional ink painting with new vitality and space for reflection.
This special exhibition is also a cultural dialogue and a spiritual exchange, inviting viewers to rediscover the profound depth of Eastern art, the creative spirit of contemporary expression, and the beauty of cultural fusion through every stroke of ink.
The CCACC Art Gallery warmly welcomes your presence!
(Article by Dr. Kit-Keung Kan)
Opening Reception: Saturday, May 3, 2025 | 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Exhibition Dates: May 3 – June 27, 2025
Gallery Hours: Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays (12:00 PM – 5:00 PM)
Gallery Address: CCACC Art Gallery, 9318 Gaither Road, Suite 215, Gaithersburg, MD 20877
Parking & Admission: Free
Contact: 301-820-7200 ext. 8522
Dongpei He, Bloom in Forgotten Vally V, Ink and Color on Rice Paper, 2023
Satomi Kamei, Meadowbrook: A painter's Walk, Sumi-ink and Gansai watercolor, 2025
Ann Kozeliski, Abandoned Mile Marker 241, Eastern Watercolor on Double Shuen paper, 2022
Deanne Kroll, Minds Quiet, Hearts Can Hear, Ink on rice paper with cold wax on ACM, 2024
SimOnaVinš Němcová, Four Elements: Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Ink on paper, 2016
Fumiyo Yoshikawa, Resonance Intertwined 1, Sumi-ink, Indigo, Gamboji, Gold on Kozo paper, 2024
