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What If...

Ichigo-Ichie (Stumbling Upon)is a tea drink experience created in stacked cups. When Kaz from Perugino and I started chatting about our lives, we were so amused at how a series of serendipitous moments brought us to where we are. Now Kaz and I often chuckle and say to each other, "That's kismet!" Kismet means fate or destiny in Farsi. Awareness of the moment and serendipity is the essence of this collaboration. The base of our drink is green tea from Kyoto with cherry rose. An infusion of rose water and a sprinkle of cardamom evoke Persia where Kaz is from."Ichigo-Ichie" is a proverb meaning "for this time only." It stems from a traditional Japanese tea ceremony in which you serve tea to your guest as if this is the only encounter you have in your life, encouraging you to cherish the moment. Your drink is marking the spot of this moment on the line drawn with chocolate syrup, (after all, throughout our lives, we all follow strands of happenstance),and I had to place a small chocolate heart wrapped in pink in the bottom cup. It may sweeten your drink or perhaps you will give it to your sweetheart, or just eat it. Why not?

The Distance Between Us

Mika Aono:

Introduction:
I first encountered Mika's work at her Umpqua Valley Art Association show. And then again at Eugene Contemporary Art. There is a lovely depth and fragility and strength to it. Mika, herself, is a superb human being.

Bio:
Mika Aono is an interdisciplinary artist, maker and wanderer of this time and space. She grew up in a very traditional household in Japan and experienced her first freedom as an exchange student in Minnesota. Mika's projects cherish absurdity in humanness, serendipity and failure. We all belong here. Mika currently works as a studio technician and instructor for Printmaking/Painting/Drawing in School of Art and Design at the University of Oregon.

Perugino Coffeehouse:

Introduction:
If there is one place this oddly distributed artwork, The Distance Between Us, can be said to have been made, it is Perugino Coffeehouse. This is the studio where countless meetings and arguments and brainstorms and inspirations, and turmeric chais were had. We know many in the Eugene community feel this way, that Perugino is their personal shared office and studio.

Bio:
Since 02002, Perugino Coffeehouse has strived to be a comfortable and beautiful place with great coffee and wine, a place to connect with community. Their commitment to being a community gathering place with an Italian touch has made them the office, living room, and relaxation spot from folks across the Eugene community. Their motto, "We Love You Here" sums up this philosophy. For this collaboration, the owner, Kaz, asked his manager to work alongside Mika in designing the tea Ichigo-Ichie, -Stumbling Upon. Dorothy Siemens is an interdisciplinary artist whose work evokes our deepest emotions. By echoing recurring images and themes throughout their work they create a poetic visual language. They liken the process to crafting a spell, pulling different elements together to bewitch their audience. They have worked as an artist, gallerist, and curator, working with various communities from Eugene to Tokyo.