A Japanese Art Journey

A Curator's Memoir of Polka Dot Pumpkins, Paper Dolls and Woodblock Prints
Passion, Art, and Identity: A Multicultural Memoir of Finding One's Place in the World
Passion, Art, and Identity: A Multicultural Memoir of Finding One's Place in the World

In this engaging memoir, Japanese art historian and curator Meher McArthur transports you into the extraordinary world of Japanese art — from ceramics, swords, prints and textiles to Buddhist art, folk painting, contemporary art and animation. One artwork and one language lesson at a time, we follow McArthur as she unspools a compelling narrative of curiosity and inspiration, personal and cultural growth, with heartbreak and resilience. This book will provide avid art lovers new ways of seeing and understanding the power of art, not only to inspire but to illuminate one's place in the world.

The author presents her art memoir in three parts:

Discovering and Learning
Growing up in a small Scottish town as a multiracial child, McArthur often felt culturally out of place. Encouraged by her Persian and Scottish parents to embrace a global identity, she studied Japanese at Cambridge, eventually moving to Japan—where she fell in love with its language, temples, ceramics, and art traditions. Just as she found her passion, family upheaval challenged her sense of direction.

Becoming a Curator
With a master's degree in Japanese art, McArthur forged a path as a museum curator in California, organizing exhibitions on folk art, sake, ceramics, and Buddhist calligraphy—while learning the rhythms of museum life and starting a family.

Curating Beyond the Museum
Stepping away from the museum world, she became an independent curator, exploring new creative territory through origami, anime, and contemporary art—discovering fresh ways to connect with audiences and with herself.

Spanning continents and cultures, this is both an inspiring art memoir and a resonant reflection on cultural belonging. McArthur's story offers a warm, generous vision of how art can illuminate identity and bridge difference—inviting readers to fall in love with Japanese art and culture, and to embrace the idea that there's no single way to belong in the world.

Contributor: Pico Iyer (Foreword by)

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