Takao Shinzawa, artist and friend

(Originally published August 31st, 2013 and updated 2024) My long-time friend Takao Shinzawa, has had several shows in JP lately.  For decades I knew Takao as a talented musician but I was blown away by the depth and character of his new visual work.

Shinzawa’s careful renderings reveal a sense of awe in the details of everyday life. His works also resonate as a silent hymn to the unexpected beauty found in urban places. Every stroke and line of Shinzawa's drawing attends to living objects, bricks and mortar with equal sensitivity.

I first met Takao when he came to the US from Japan more than thirty years ago, and has been living for 24 years in Jamaica Plain. He has always painted and drawn from real life. Takao is a gardener and dead-funny commentator on modern life, who also works part-time at Mass Art. Shinzawa is a also classically trained flutist and has studied with Doriot Anthony Dwyer. In addition to western flute he plays Japanese flutes called ryuteki and komabue which are integral to Gagaku dance and ceremonial music; a musical form with an unbroken history stretching more than a millennium.  To find out more: Contact Takao Shinzawa: cell: 617.721.1371  https://pixels.com/profiles/takaogallerystore Or say hello as you see him sketching in the neighborhood!