Imaginaries

Mako and I had another opportunity to reflect on what it is to be a practicing artist and the imaginaries that artists help envision for others. These ideas are expounded on in Mako's new book "Art Is: A Journey into the Light", and "Imagination: A Manifesto" Ruha Benjamin. While I did not mention it in the conversation I would also recommend "Your Brain on Art" by Susan Magsamen and Ivy Ross in connection to this conversation and their Aesthetic Mindset Index. The queries offered lean towards experiential, and they give insight into the spectrum of engagement with the arts. This particularly connects with the worldview lens conversation that Mako and I have regarding drawing and framing. It was illuminating for me to realize just how much I adjust my sightlines to a more considered aesthetically aligned "frame" daily. What lens are you viewing your daily life through? 

Belonging Conversations November 2025 by Makoto Fujimura

Artists Julia Hendrickson and Mako Fujimura on "Why Art?"

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