Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • Collections
      • Open Access
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • EEO & Small Business
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Program
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Oral history interview with Eugene and Hiroko Sato Pijanowski

Archives of American Art

Object Details

General
Originally recorded on 4 sound discs. Reformatted in 2010 as 9 digital wav files. Duration is 4 hr., 12 min.
Interviewee
Pijanowski, Eugene, 1938-
Interviewer
Fisch, Arline M.
Interviewee
Pijanowski, Hiroko Sato, 1942-
Names
Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America
Topic
Decorative arts
Asian American art
Asian American artists
Japanese American art
Japanese American artists
Asian American metal-workers
Jewelers -- Hawaii -- Interviews
Metal-workers -- Hawaii -- Interviews
Japanese American women -- Interviews
Women artists
Jewelry making
Metal-work
Provenance
This interview is part of the Archives of American Art Oral History Program, started in 1958 to document the history of the visual arts in the United States, primarily through interviews with artists, historians, dealers, critics and administrators.
Interviewee
Pijanowski, Eugene, 1938-
Interviewer
Fisch, Arline M.
Interviewee
Pijanowski, Hiroko Sato, 1942-
Sponsor
Funding for this interview was provided by the Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America. Funding for the digital preservation of this interview was provided by a grant from the Save America's Treasures Program of the National Park Service.
Biographical / Historical
Eugene (1938- ) and Hiroko Sato (1942- ) Pijanowski are metalsmiths living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Arline M. Fisch is a jeweler and writer.
Extent
102 Pages (Transcript)
102 Pages (Transcript)
Date
2003 May 15-16
2003 May 15-16
Archival Repository
Archives of American Art
Identifier
AAA.pijanoeh03
Type
Collection descriptions
Archival materials
Pages
Sound recordings
Interviews
Genre/Form
Sound recordings
Interviews
Scope and Contents
An interview of Eugene and Hiroko Sato Pijanowski conducted 2003 May 15-16, by Arline M. Fisch, for the Archives of American Art's Nanette L. Laitman Documentation Project for Craft and Decorative Arts in America, in Honolulu, Hawaii.
The Pijanowskis speak of their unique relationship in life and work; their early years in Japan; the lack of art schools in Japan; their collaborative process; Gene's tendency to deviate from standard styles; Hiroko's work on Japanese metalwork; they comment on their interest in fabric, Japanese paper cord [mizuhiki], fish skin, and ColorCore (a surfacing material with integral solid color throughout its thickness); their series Gentle Solitude, Amaryllis, and Maple Leaves; student labor; their separate careers as teachers; the presence of Japanese and American cultures in their life; their interest in Dutch design; the significance of their international marriage while living in Michigan and Hawaii; they recall various symposia and workshops; they discuss how their travels have effected their works; Hiroko's enjoyment of scuba diving and inspiration from nature; they comment on the difficulties of working together at the same university; other artist couples they know; retiring to Hawaii; Hiroko's interest in haiku poetry; and her responsibilities in Japan of running her uncle's company and helping her elderly mother. The Pijanowskis also recall Kim Cridler, David Watkins, Wendy Ramshaw, Emmy van Leersum and Gijs Bakker, Takahiko Mizuno, Francis Pickens, Mike Capitan, and others.
Restrictions
Transcript available on the Archives of American Art website.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1596375074997-1596375074999-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/mw995c119d9-e24c-41d2-8d04-c9e9b9de3169
View Oral history interview with Eugene and Hiroko Sato Pijanowski, 2003 May 15-16, Transcript
Oral history interview with Eugene and Hiroko Sato Pijanowski, 2003 May 15-16, Digital Sound Recording (Excerpt)
There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer
View Finding aid

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top