Most are only familiar with Yoko Ono as a musician and activist, but she is also an accomplished artist.

Born in 1933 in Tokyo City, Japan, Ono faced many hardships throughout her childhood. She experienced the Great Tokyo Air Raid of 1945, sheltered with her family in a bunker, which would influence her art later in life. After the destruction of the raid, Ono and her family were forced to beg and barter for food. However, after WWII, her family was able to relocate the Scarsdale, NY and close by, Yoko would go on to attend Sarah Lawrence College in 1953 and work her way into the Bohemian art scene of NYC.

In the early 60s, Ono became associated with the group of experimental artists known as Fluxus. Although she did not formally join the group, wishing to remain independent, she did often collaborate with several artists in Fluxus. Ono created conceptual art through many mediums such as painting, sculpting, performance, and filmmaking.

In 2019, Yoko Ono created the piece known as "A Piece of Sky." The sky is a motif often utilized by Ono in her work. The sky is said to have been inspired by her air raid experience as a child and is meant to symbolize freedom and peace.

Click this link to see a full tutorial on A Piece of Sky activity: https://vimeo.com/439887328

Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yoko_Ono https://www.dow.cam.ac.uk/cultural-life/heong-gallery/past-exhibitions/yoko-ono-sky-pieces https://www.art-19.com/yoko-ono

 

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