Maasa is a twenty-two year old senior here at Franklin Pierce University. She is a fine arts major with a concentration in painting, and her work is currently displayed in the senior art show in the Thoreau Gallery.
Maasa comes from Chiba, Japan, which is near Tokyo. She came here to go to college in the U.S. She is a determined young woman who will achieve her goal of making an impact through her talent.
“I decided to study abroad in America after I graduated from high school in Japan. During the time I spent in high school, I lacked the dreams and hopes for a prosperous future. I was not content on simply getting any type of job; I wished to play an active role in the world. Because of my aspiration I chose to come to America where I could learn English, which I believed was necessary.”
She came to the United States to find out what she wanted to do with her life. She studied art, math, and business to try to find some sense of what she wanted to do. When she came to New Hampshire and started taking art classes here, the environment inspired her.
“I was lucky enough to have my college situated in New Hampshire, a state blessed with beautiful scenes of nature and constant changing seasons. Since I grew up in a big city, scenes of nature like those I found in New Hampshire were unrealized until I moved there. The environment and scenery began showing in my painting. The art classes and college life I experienced in America made me realize how much pleasure I gained from painting. I thought I wanted to continue my painting studies more deeply.”
Maasa did not start painting until quite recently when she was a sophomore. She has the talent for it and wishes to continue studying art in graduate school.
“I started painting two and a half years ago, and with numerous other classes to attend, I was not able to devote all my time to painting in college, which was what I truly wanted to do. At that time, I began thinking I wanted to become a painter who could make a deep impression on people with my paintings; this is why I would like to continue my painting studies more deeply on the graduate level.”
Nature inspires Maasa to paint. “The theme of my artwork is ‘the beauty of nature.’ Nature is dynamic and delicate, similar to humans.”
“Compared to Chiba, New Hampshire offered a natural environment that was foreign but elegant to me, for example: vast forests, wild animals, and mountainous terrain. Through my two and a half years of studying painting abroad, I realized that my change in environment from Chiba to New Hampshire has influenced my artwork. Exposure to the natural landscape first hand in New Hampshire opened my eyes to nature’s beauty that I would have not seen living in Japan. I view nature in a different perspective, where I am able to separate specific details such as colors and lights and incorporate them into my works.”
Her peers and her professors also inspire her. At first she could not keep up with the pace of all of the art students. She had no previous experience with art before. Maasa was a complete beginner when she decided to attempt art.
“I had never done painting in my life and had no experiences or knowledge for it. I remember some of my classmates knew how to paint; that made me afraid too. For me, everyone looked they had enough confidence to paint. Also, through the class, I knew I am extremely slow painter compared to the other people. So, I felt like I had to push myself to catch up with their level, and I spent a lot of time outside of class and practiced a lot. I believe that my painting skill improved because of all my friends who took art classes with me. Also, I love seeing everyone’s artwork. They have own characteristics, and no one has the same style. Their ideas and artworks always help with my idea of my artworks. Moreover, I always learn many things from their artworks…[To] my former painting professor Jim Quinn, art history professor Lorettann Gascard, ceramics professor Susan Silverman, my adviser professor Katherine Cronin and all my art professors, I want to thank them. They help me all the time; they gave me a lot of chances and expanded my ability.”
When Maasa practices art, she goes in the painting room. If she is having a bad day she will go down there and see all of her friends’ paintings and they will make her feel better. She is motivated and calmed there to do her paintings.
She also enjoys playing the piano, tennis, looking at interior design books, and taking photos. Maasa also enjoys art forms other than painting. “I took drawing, stained glass, ceramics, glass blowing, watercolor, and graphic design. I liked all of them, but I always had a hard time with three dimensional forms.”
Maasa is creating a portfolio for graduate school in the fall. She got into Rochester Institute of Technology's (RIT) MFA program, and will continue to study painting. She hopes that people will know her artwork in the future.
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