Black, white and grey are traditionally cast as the colors of mourning—the quiet, muted tones left behind when vibrancy drains out of life. But stepping into the University Art Gallery at Western Illinois University to view Mayuko Ono Gray’s solo exhibition, 'This Too, Shall Pass,' proves that a monochrome palette can hold an astounding, unexpected spectrum of light.
Marking my first venture back into the local art scene following the recent loss of my soulmate, the exhibition felt less like an aesthetic outing and more like a quiet sanctuary.
Gray, whose monumental graphite drawings weave together traditional Japanese calligraphy techniques with Western figurative realism, works entirely in shades of graphite on high-quality cotton paper. Yet despite the absence of pigment, her drawings do not feel stark. Through rich contrast, delicate chiaroscuro, and floating ribbon-like calligraphic lines tracing Japanese proverbs across domestic scenes, Gray creates a depth where shadows feel alive. For the first time in a very long time, standing in front of these works, I didn't just see grayscale—I felt like I was actually seeing color again.
Among the standout pieces in the exhibition is a striking drawing featuring an everyday Land O' Lakes half-and-half carton, layered over with flowing calligraphic script and delicate, translucent bubbles that floatingly anchor the composition.
In a season where loss makes even getting through the day feel like an insurmountable mountain, that half-and-half carton offered a quiet, profound permission structure. It served as a gentle reminder that balance doesn't require total strength—that it is entirely okay to spend half the day surviving one way, and the other half navigating the world another way. Grief is rarely a straight line, and Gray’s integration of everyday household objects into meditative, spiritual landscapes reframes ordinary survival into an act of art.
