During a recent appointment at the Nappi Wellness Institute at SUNY Upstate Medical University Hospital, I saw this impressive mural by Japanese artist Tomokazu Matsuyama.

Solitude Aqua Amore, 2023 by Tomokazu Matsuyama.

I’ve written about the soothing effect of hospital art before. A few years ago, a framed print in an MRI waiting room inspired this poem, which was published in my 2021 collection, Outward Arrangements: Poems.

Waiting with Vincent

A scheduled MRI
of the brain shifts
my thoughts toward
all of the
“what if, worst-case scenarios.”
While waiting for my name
to be called,
I see a print of Irises (1889)
hanging on a wall.

From far across the room,
without my glasses,
the slanted vertical
green leaves
look like snakes
writhing in the dirt.
But the longer
I stare at the image,
the calmer I feel.
Placid is the word
that comes to mind.

And I’m thankful Vincent
spends a few
moments with me
prior to my appointment
with the tube machine.

Because when sitting
in a hospital
waiting room,
artwork by Vincent
never fails to lift the spirits.
A van Gogh painting beats
People magazine
or an iPhone screen
every time.

The mural is entitled Solitude Aqua Amore, 2023, and Matsuyama worked with the nonprofit organization RxART, which “pairs leading contemporary artists with pediatric hospitals to develop site-specific projects that humanize the healthcare environment and improve the patient experience.”

I think it’s a wonderful concept, and I have no doubt that colorful artwork in hospitals lifts the spirits of little patients and their parents during their tense moments (or hours) of testing, waiting, and meeting with doctors and medical staff.

The RxART website displays images of completed projects at hospitals across the country.

I like the close-up iPhone photo I took because it put me smack in the middle of the painting, and the detailed image made me think of a Jackson Pollock drip painting—but featuring birds.

Detail image of Solitude Aqua Amore, 2023.

Here is the wall text for Matsuyama’s piece:

Tomokazu Matsuyama
Solitude Aqua Amore, 2023
Courtesy of the Artist

“Tomokazu Matsuyama is a contemporary artist who is keenly aware of the nomadic diaspora, a community of wandering people who seek to understand their place in a world of contrasting visual and cultural dialects. Tomokazu has created this bright and uplifting imagery to transform the institute’s International department. This work, inspired by “a thousand origami cranes,” encapsulates the essence of hope, peace, and the mythical attributes of good fortune. Utilizing geometric forms and organic curves, he weaves the inherent desire associated with the ‘senbazuru’ tradition into a narrative that resonates with the contemporary era. Tomokazu was born in Takayama, Gifu, Japan, and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. RxART is grateful to Chris Salgardo, ATWATER, and Ducati for lead support of this project.”

Side note: These days, it seems whenever I read biographical text about a writer, poet, filmmaker, or artist, the bio invariably ends . . . “[Insert artist name] lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.” And that makes me wonder if poems are flying through the air and paint is flowing in the streets of Brooklyn. If I ever get to New York again, I’ll need to make my way there to explore the scene.