A Visit to Uncle Bert’s Home & Traveling through the Countryside – Part 2

In Japan’s structures, art emerges quietly through subtle, beautiful design choices. Their architecture emphasizes the importance of minimalism and multifunctional spaces, since tatami mats are often used to size the rooms, creating flexible spaces.

Visiting Uncle Bert’s home at the base of Mt. Fuji is an adventure within itself. His artwork is playful and symbolic. He moved to Lake Yamanaka to build his home with his wife in 1964 and lived there creating art for the next 60 years, passing away in 2024.

Bert Hubbell, like his brother James, worked in several medias, including clay, mosaics, and stained glass, amongst many others. Bert’s home is uniquely his own, with his artwork visible at every turn, yet the home itself carries the same quiet simplicity intrinsic to Japanese architecture.

Thank you for coming on this adventure with us!
Photos courtesy of the Hubbell Family.