Mari Hirooka, was born in Tokyo, Japan February 6,1930. Mari graduated from Ishikawa Kenritsu Daini Kojo, Ishikawa, Japan in March 1948. During her schooling, Ms. Hirooka had published numerous poems and had countless exhibitions of painting since childhood.

September 1966, Ms. Hirooka came to live in the United States to stay in Denver Colorado. In 1967, however, Ms. Hirooka obtained permanent residence visa as a writer on literature and art in San Francisco in February at Nichibei Times. Ms. Hirooka arrived in New York in April of 1968.

Mari not only an artist and writer, also designed new musical instruments, trying to produce new sounds and music, different from the ones established. Titled "Fantasy of Science." This was introduced to an exhibition at Bank of Tokyo, San Francisco and at Yamaha Piano Company.

During February 1980 the official opening of a nonprofit organization charter was granted by New York State and opening exhibition was "True Treasure Artist of Harikiri," he could not get an exhibition in Japan but he was exhibited here in the "Nippon Museum" that Ms. Hirooka had established during February 1977. This was an important step for both the US and Japan.

Ms. Hirooka had also worked with Handicapped children (mentally and physically, and there work was promoted in both countries Japan and the USA. A story was made about each woodcut print made by each handicapped child and was distributed to many schools in the US. Jimmy Carter accepted six pieces of art done by the children for the White House Library.

Mari started showing her art at various places during 1981 to 1992. In 1987, Connecticut Museum NECCA had presented Mira's Painting titled "American Dream."

Currently, Mari Hirooka has the rare opportunity of being one of the only artists in the entire world who has recently had one of her paintings included in one of the images in the extremely large collection of Walter Paul Bebirian's "Picture of the Moment" series in his On-Line Gallery. Ms. Hirooka, in the latest piece in her "American Dream"series entitled "American Dream-World Great Changing has made an unprecedented step by combining her traditional Japanese style with her more modern storytelling style to create this new captivating mix.

Walter Paul Bebirian has taken this one step further and then combined this latest of Mari Hirooka's work with is candid style of making a momentary and instant exhibit within his environment, displayed in Picture of the Moment-#2167 (search item POM_2167) in his Website's Photography On-Line Gallery (shop section) in his vastly diverse and constantly evolving website.

http://www.57548trillion.com

By including her work in his image-Mr. Bebirian has attempted not only to show the great beauty and creativeness in this new combination created by Ms. Hirooka but believes that within Ms. Hirooka's silk screen four paneled painting, and then by the inclusion in his image Picture of the moment-#2167 we seem emerging the tremendous results of what will be seen soon in our societies throughout the world- the result of continuos convergence and reshaping of all things globally.

**Please Note-All copyrights for both the four paneled silk screen painting entitled "American Dream-World Great Changing" and Picture of the Moment-#2167 are owned by Walter Paul Bebirian.

For more inquiries or additional information about Mari Hirooka's art work, please contact Pat Kelly. Phone- 718-271-7566, Or Email: pkelly55@nyc.rr.com