What is Contemporary Buddhist Art? Is it art about Buddhism? Is it art by Buddhists? Is it about spiritual growth and expansion? Awakening and Enlightenment? Movement beyond the personal towards the infinite? Yes and No and It Depends.

The Buddhist Churches of America (BCA) and The Buddhist Temple of Alameda have joined with Rhythmix Cultural Works to present a curated collection of works by contemporary Buddhist artists Betty Nobue Kano, Joyce Nojima, Kai Issei Fujioka, Valerie Pham and Joan Di Stefano.

Each of these artists have been participants in the BCA Virtual Art Exhibit presented by the BCA Art Committee over the past 3 years. Artists from Shin Buddhist temples throughout the United States have displayed their works each fall. Experienced professionals with decades of dedication to school aged dabblers have shown their artwork side by side. From paintings and sketches to metal and wood sculptures, Sumi E calligraphy to Ikebana flower arrangements, cyr wheel performances to WWII camp creations have all been displayed.

Art carries spiritual expression from the depths of each individual to touch us, the viewer, in a temporary pause as it moves on into the infinite universe. Contemporary Buddhist Art is this.

“We are deeply indebted to the staff of The Rhythmix Cultural Works, The Buddhist Churches of America, and The Buddhist Temple of Alameda for their guidance and support to share this exhibit with you. We thank the artists for providing their efforts and inspiration” – Rev. Joshin Dennis Fujimoto, BCA Art Committee Chair, Minister, Buddhist Temple of Alameda & Enmanji Buddhist Temple

About the Artists

Betty Nobue Kano’s work as an artist and activist has helped shape the landscape of the arts for Asian Americans and women of color. She was a lecturer in Japanese American Art and Literature at SF State University for 18 years and was Director of Pro Arts, a non-profit gallery in Oakland. She co-founded Art Against Apartheid, Women of Color Camp and Asian American Women Artists Association.

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Image: Betty Nobue Kano, End of the Rainbow, 1979, Acrylic on canvas, Prismacolor pencil.

Joyce Nojima is a second-generation Japanese-American, who received her B.A. in Art Practice from UC Berkeley and her MFA at UC Davis. Nojima is currently a faculty member at SF City College and a teaching artist in residence at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts.

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Image: Joyce Nojima, Untitled, 2022, Watercolor and metalic paint on paper.

Oakland native, Kai Issei Fujioka is a local artist and woodworker that has lived and worked in the Bay Area his entire life. Kai’s Japanese American heritage and his appreciation for natural landscapes provide a unique perspective demonstrated in his work.

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Image: Kai Issei Fujioka, Cosmic, 2021, Acrylic on canvas.

Valerie Pham, a senior at SJND High School in Alameda, has grown up a Buddhist her whole life. She draws inspiration from her culture and spiritual practices to create art about the beauty and internal conflict that Vietnamese Buddhists face in the context of war, generational trauma, and intercultural exchange.

Image: Valerie Pham, Lost, 2023, Mixed media paper using charcoal pencil and Conte crayon.

Joan Di Stefano has been part of the Buddhist Temple of Alameda since 2004. The Shin Buddhist teachings and temple traditions have grown to become a major influence in her life. The freestanding glass composition and the paintings presented in this exhibit reflect for her the Dharma message.

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Image: Joan Di Stefano, The Nembutsu, 2022, Acrylic on canvas.

Banner image: Joyce Nojima, Untitled, 2023, Acrylic gouache on paper.