Julian Togashi, Sunflower

It seems natural the first artwork we should feature in this new section of the gallery website is Julian’s Sunflower. It was this work that inspired us to create the gallery in his memory in the first place, and it was this work that became an integral part of the inspiration for the gallery logo.

Julian painted Sunflower, a watercolor on paper, as an elementary school art project for the school’s annual Parent/Teacher Night. When Jiro and I first saw Sunflower, we were blown away by its beauty, its vibrant colors, and its symbolism. Julian said he had learned in school that sunflowers always face the sun - they start the day facing east, then follow the sun throughout the day ending up facing west. He wondered if the expression, “look on the bright side” may have come from the behavior of sunflowers. He was always keenly aware, and proud, of his Japanese-American heritage, and liked to think he was like a sunflower that could face east and west with equal ease.

When we brought Julian’s painting home, he additionally told us the three heart shaped leaves represented the three of us bound together by a nourishing stem. The complexity of his thoughts and simplicity of his sensitivities were a constant source of wonder for us. Sunflower always brings a rush of bright memories of Julian and our family. We keep his original painting in our home and display a reproduction at the gallery. Please come bask in the sunny warmth of Sunflower when you find yourself in the area of the gallery.