Takao Shinzawa, visual artist, captures the beauty of Boston's streets and parks

Takao Shinzawa, visual artist, captures the beauty of Boston's streets and parks

My long-time friend Takao Shinzawa has had several shows in JP lately.  For decades I knew Takao as a talented musician and now I am blown away by the depth and character of his new visual work. He has been creating masterful drawings with depth and color working with 4B-6B pencils and using the streets and parks of Boston as his subjects.

                                                                  

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 decades in Jamaica Plain. He played flute our wedding, February 21st, 1981 [fun coincidence] He has always painted and drawn from real life.  But Takao is a man of many talents. He also a gardener, and a dead-funny commentator on modern life. He was a Horticulturist at Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children in Canton for 8 years.  

Shinzawa is a 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. He also played flute & piccolo in the Canton Band until 2022. He practices classical flute & traditional Gagaku flutes in Franklin Park. He is back to the streets of Boston to draw again.  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!

Takao Shinzawa, visual artist, captures the beauty of Boston's streets and parks

(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 decades in Jamaica Plain. He has always painted and drawn from real life. Takao is also a gardener, and a dead-funny commentator on modern life. Shinzawa is a 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!