Holding the Moment from the collection of LRC

Holding the Moment, 2025

Neon tubing - Murano Italian Citrus Orange Glass tubing - filled with neon gas.

60 x 28 in

Location: Ridgefield, CT

Drawing inspiration from the poetry collection Paul identified as his favorite at the Pavilion, I developed a concept for the outdoor pavilion wall centered on waka poetry. Dating back to the 7th century, waka is one of the oldest forms of Japanese literature. It goes beyond words, serving as a subtle and emotional expression that has shaped Japanese art and culture for over a thousand years. The most well-known form of waka is the tanka, a five-line poem with a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure. Rather than stating emotions directly, poets evoke feeling through seasonal imagery and brief moments in nature. This approach gives waka its quiet, reflective quality, which remains central to traditional Japanese aesthetics. From the classic collection of One Hundred Waka Poems, we selected two for the design. Due to space limitations, we chose to feature only the final two lines — known as the shimo-no-ku.

Colors fade from blooms
In the long falling spring rains
Time slips quietly
I have spent my days in vain
Watching beauty pass away

In this poem, Komachi is capturing a very human realization: that life, beauty, and love are fleeting, and we often only recognize their value as they begin to fade. Ono no Komachi was a celebrated female poet from 9th century Japan, known for her beauty and deeply emotional poems about love and the passage of time.

From LRC

Kody Shafer

The Mercury Dime & Buffalo Head, 2025

Neon tubing various colors mounted to brushed/polished metal round canister with cleat mounting system

42 x 6 in
Kody Shafer

Where the River Rejoins, 2025

Neon tubing - Murano Italian Citrus Orange Glass tubing - filled with neon gas.

60 x 28 in
Norbert Schwontkowski

Rockefeller, c. 2007

Oil on Canvas

19.6 x 15.7 in
Norbert Schwontkowski

Vorhang (Curtains), 2006

Oil on Canvas

25 x 19 in
Norbert Schwontkowski

Ich bin uralt, 2004

Oil and pigment on canvas

25 x 19 in
Xanti Schawinsky

STE-109, 1975

Oil on Canvas

46.50 x 36 cm
Xanti Schawinsky

STE-141, 1975

Oil on Canvas

36.5 x 46.5 cm
Xanti Schawinsky

Untitled, 1954

Oil on Canvas

30.5 x 30.5 cm

View All Artworks

About the artist

Kody Shafer

b. 1994

Kody Schafer is a Ridgefield-born, Connecticut-based neon artist and master glass bender whose practice centers on preserving and reinterpreting traditional neon sign craftsmanship. Trained through apprenticeships in the U.S. and Japan—most notably in Osaka—his work blends meticulous hand-made technique with influences from historic American and Japanese neon culture. Through his studio, Neon Spectacular, he creates custom neon artworks and signs that bridge functional signage and poetic, atmospheric art, emphasizing neon as both a living craft and a cultural language.

Additional Details

Additional Artworks

The Mercury Dime & Buffalo Head, 2025

Where the River Rejoins, 2025

Rockefeller, c. 2007

Vorhang (Curtains), 2006

Ich bin uralt, 2004

STE-109, 1975

STE-141, 1975

Untitled, 1954

About the artist

Kody Shafer