FEATURED EVENT
MAAI 間合い | THE SPACES BETWEEN ART + DESIGN PRACTICES WITH RINA ALFONSO
What unique perspectives from Japan can shape a creative career?
In this talk, artist and designer Rina Alfonso will share insights into how the intersections of Japanese culture and arts together with her personal experiences, have shaped her career and inspired her distinctive approach to art and design in the Washington, DC metro area.
Rina will provide a general overview of how Japanese and Asian aesthetics, in parallel with her 20+ years of kendo practice, helped lay the foundation for her creative practice and professional path. Through the concept of Maai (間合い)—the space between—Rina will examine intersectionality in Japanese aesthetics, kendo, and the Asian experience within an American design context.
LECTURE INFO
Wednesday, March 12, 2025
6:30PM EST (Doors open at 6:00PM)
Send any inquiries to
jicc@ws.mofa.go.jp
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Rina Alfonso
Founder & Creative Director, Studio Aorta
4-Dan Kendo Practitioner, Washinkan Dojo
Rina Alfonso is a Philippine-born, Washington DC based multidisciplinary designer, artist, and educator. She is the founder of Studio Aorta, a creative studio specializing in exhibitions, publications, illustrations, and visual design that celebrate stories about history, culture, social justice, and art.
Rina earned her undergraduate degree from Sophia University's Department of Comparative Culture — with a concentration in Art History and Literature — before obtaining a Master’s degree in Exhibition Design from the Corcoran School of the Arts at George Washington University. She is a Certified AIGA Design Leader (AIGA-DL) and a Certified Registered Graphic Designer (RGD), with over 15 years of experience working in the design and museum industries.
Rina was the first woman in the Philippines to earn a black belt in kendo and currently holds a 4-Dan (4th degree blackbelt) rank. With over 20 years of experience, she practices 3 times a week at her local dojo (Washinkan Kendo) with her husband, dividing her time between teaching beginners and mentoring intermediate students.
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