WIU Art Gallery Kicks Off 2026 Exhibits Mayuko Ono Gray – This Too, Shall Pass Displayed Through Sept. 25.
If the dog days of summer, sticky Midwest humidity or your daily inbox clutter have felt unending lately, take solace in a timeless reminder: this too, shall pass.
Though, in the case of Western Illinois University’s upcoming art exhibition, you’ll definitely want to catch it before it actually does.
The University Art Gallery will kick off its Fall 2026 exhibition lineup with “Mayuko Ono Gray – This Too, Shall Pass,” running from Aug. 25 through Sept. 25. An opening reception celebrating the artist will be held Tuesday, Aug. 25, from 4:30 p.m.- 6 p.m. at the gallery.
Based in Houston, TX, Ono Gray is celebrated for her monumental, highly detailed graphite drawings that seamlessly hybridize two distinct artistic traditions: classical Western realism and traditional Japanese calligraphy.
Born in Japan, Ono Gray spent her childhood Saturdays training under a calligraphic master, learning the rhythmic precision, varying brush speeds, and fluid lines of traditional ink work. As a teenager preparing for university entrance exams, her focus shifted to a Western-style studio, replacing wet ink and tatami mats with malleable graphite, chiaroscuro shading and classical marble busts.
After moving to the United States following high school, she earned her Master of Fine Arts in painting from the University of Houston in 2007. Today, her distinct hybrid approach reflects a life navigating both Japanese and American cultural landscapes.
In “This Too, Shall Pass,” Ono Gray’s large-scale drawings feature depictions of people, animals, and still-life scenes captured from everyday life. Woven directly into each piece is a single, continuous calligraphic line spelling out Japanese proverbs using intertwined hiragana and kanji characters.
Flowing from the top right to the bottom left of the page in traditional writing style, this unbroken line serves as a metaphor for the human experience — beginning at birth, ending at loss, and encompassing all the intricate twists, turns and emotions encountered in between.
Ono Gray’s work has been exhibited extensively across the United States and internationally, including shows in Japan, Mexico, Germany, Italy, Greece, Canada and the United Kingdom. She is represented by Hooks-Epstein Galleries in Houston and Galería 910 in Oaxaca, Mexico.
The University Art Gallery, located at 1 University Circle in Macomb, is open from 9 a.m. - noon and 1-4 p.m. Monday through Friday, and 1-4 p.m. Saturdays. Admission to the exhibition and the opening reception is free and open to the public.
