The ninth episode of the podcast “CrossWorld Puzzles” is now out!
I was super excited to welcome my longtime friend Mari Yobp, who I’ve known since middle school! Mari is an artist and poet raised in Japan. After graduating from Musashino Art University, she worked as an art teacher at a school in Osaka (where she met her future husband) and immigrated to the U.S. She is currently based in Pittsburgh, PA, and has also lived in Idaho. Mari draws and paints mostly flowers in watercolor. She also writes Tanka poetry and publishes her work in a poetry magazine.
We discuss her philosophy in creating art; how she met her husband and built her own community in the U.S.; how she keeps in touch with the Japanese language and writes poetry; how she has contended with her child’s medical challenges; and how she stays positive no matter what challenges come her way.
Many thanks to Mari for sharing her wisdom. She’s always been an inspiration and source of strength for me, and I’m sure many will find her words and kind demeanor comforting.
The video podcast with Mari is below, but for more information, please see photos (and the episode transcript) here: https://crossworld-puzzles.com/episode9-mari/. This webpage includes a lot of Mari’s art, and should not be missed!
The podcast can be followed on YouTube, Spotify, and (for audio only) Apple Podcasts.
ポッドキャスト「CrossWorld Puzzles」の最新エピソードです。今回は、中学校からの良き友人であるヨープ真理さんの話を伺いました。日本で育ち、美大を卒業してアーティストとしてのキャリアを歩んできた真理さん。大阪でアートを教えている中で、アメリカ人である今のご主人に出会い、アメリカに移住します。今はピッツバーグを拠点として絵を描きつつ、子育てに力を入れ、短歌も詠んで出版しています。
絵を描く際の哲学、アメリカにおけるコミュニティの構築、日本語の美しさや語彙の維持の仕方、家族として乗り越えてきた課題など、多岐にわたるお話を伺いました。ぜひご覧ください！