Butoh/Art Performance at Nibei Foundation

Multimedia artist Ibuki Kuramochi will perform on Saturday, May 11, at 6 p.m. at the Nibei Foundation, 11570 W. Olympic Blvd. in Los Angeles.

“Spirit” fuses the beauty and craft of live painting with the soul and rhythm of contemporary Japanese butoh dance. The term “choreography” is problematic for butoh. Choreography in the West implies a set sequence of movements; butoh is very different — timing and movements are improvised.

Born in Gunma Prefecture, Kuramochi specializes in artworks for exhibition as well as live performances. She graduated at the top of her class from the prestigious Asagaya College of Art and Design in Tokyo, majoring in contemporary art. She studied butoh at the world-renowned Kazuo Ohno Butoh Dance Studio in Yokohama.

Kuramochi has held a deep interest and passion in painting since her childhood when she saw, for the first time, Ikuo Hirayama’s Silk Road art. She works a lot with black and white, which represent the beginning and nothingness. In her paintings, we can find many themes like nature, the animal world in opposition with the human world, and eroticism. This time, she will add red, which signifies blood, which is essential for life.

The performance is free. Dinner with the artist (by reservation only) is at 7 p.m. and is $10 per person. For more information, call (310) 479-6101, email nibei@nibei.org or visit http://nibei.org.