"Good Fortune Alliance"
Paintings at Japan Tobacco, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan) 36" x 36" x 2; 1995.

The painting "Good Fortune Alliance" was created to celebrate the collaboration of a German Machine Manufacturer (Verden, West Germany) and Japan Tobacco, Inc. (Tokyo, Japan).

“Good Fortune Alliance” explores the similarities and the differences between the German and Japanese cultures. The painting portrays many unique and beautiful features of each culture. It also depicts common activities, values and pleasures shared by the people of these two distinct cultures.
I have tried to represent each culture in its own special way, for instance the Domweih symbolizes a festive Germany while the bonsai tree embodies the patience of the Japanese. Each culture offers a wealth of images – the German farmers market, the bustling Tokyo – that uniquely characterize the culture.

Even though thousands of miles separate these two countries, they possess many similarities. Nature, in the form of flowers and gardens, is special to both the Japanese and the Germans. Elaborate gardens provide food for the imagination as well as food for the table.

The people of both cultures take pleasure in many of the same activities. Boating is common to both cultures, as is biking as a means of transportation. They share the sport of skiing, while both also suffer the hardships that snow brings to everyday life. Both peoples treasure old buildings and other structures that carry a unique history.

Tradition and beauty are the cornerstone of both cultures. Unifying the two cultures in the painting is the flowering tobacco plant which spans the panels. The business of processing tobacco has created an alliance between these two companies and linked the countries and their people.

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