EMMA NISHIMURA
The Rusty Toque | Issue 12 | Visual Art | June 30, 2017
Collected Stories: Harold Miwa. Etching and Hand Painting on Gampi with Wax. 17 x 22 Inches.
Image is composed of text from: Miwa, Harold. Interview by Artist. 29 October and 5 November. 2017
Collected Stories: Harold Miwa (detail). Etching and Hand Painting on Gampi with Wax. 17 x 22 Inches.
Image is composed of text from: Miwa, Harold. Interview by Artist. 29 October and 5 November. 2017
Collected Stories: Terry Idenouye. Etching and Hand Painting on Gampi with Wax. 17 x 22 Inches. Image is Composed of Text from: Idenouye, Terry. 2015. Interview by Artist. 19 November. 2017
Collected Stories: Frank Moritsugu. Etching and Hand Painting on Gampi with Wax. 17 x 22 Inches.
Image is composed of text from: Moritsugu, Frank. 2015. “My Experiences During the Second World War”. Speech, Ryerson University. 2017
Collected Stories: Frank Moritsugu (detail). Etching and Hand Painting on Gampi with Wax. 17 x 22 Inches.
Image is composed of text from: Moritsugu, Frank. 2015. “My Experiences During the Second World War”. Speech, Ryerson University. 2017
An Archive of Rememory: Matsuoka Family Portrait, Japan 1931. Photogravure on Flax and Abaca. 3 x 3 x 2.5 Inches. 2016
An Archive of Rememory: Mary and Chiye, Japan 1936. Photogravure on Flax and Abaca. 3 x 3 x 2.5 Inches. 2016
An Archive of Rememory: Matsuoka Girls, Japan 1931. Photogravure on Flax and Abaca. 3 x 3 x 2.5 Inches. 2016
An Archive of Rememory: Installation View.
Desai Matta Gallery, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA. 2017
An Archive of Rememory: Installation View.
Desai Matta Gallery, California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA. 2017
STATEMENT ON WORK
After much researching, collecting and recording of my own family’s stories as well as other families’ stories, I have sought to explore through this work, how the memories associated with the Japanese Canadian internment have been quietly stored and packed away. How does one sort, contain and navigate the weight of individual memory? How does trans-generational memory get passed on? Is it possible for these fragile, elusive and multi-layered stories to be made tangible?
Pulling inspiration from a traditional form of Japanese wrapping known as furoshiki, family stories have been layered into the folds of a wrapping meant to carry or protect. Memories have been captured, recorded and archived. Transcriptions of oral histories and images from different generations' experiences of the Japanese Canadian internment and its aftermath have been written and printed, over and over again. And yet, throughout these processes I have been acutely aware of the futility of my actions, as all of these gestures can only ever be an echo of what once was. However, it is my hope, that by drawing attention to the fragments and layers left behind, the weight of what cannot be recovered or remembered is revealed.
After much researching, collecting and recording of my own family’s stories as well as other families’ stories, I have sought to explore through this work, how the memories associated with the Japanese Canadian internment have been quietly stored and packed away. How does one sort, contain and navigate the weight of individual memory? How does trans-generational memory get passed on? Is it possible for these fragile, elusive and multi-layered stories to be made tangible?
Pulling inspiration from a traditional form of Japanese wrapping known as furoshiki, family stories have been layered into the folds of a wrapping meant to carry or protect. Memories have been captured, recorded and archived. Transcriptions of oral histories and images from different generations' experiences of the Japanese Canadian internment and its aftermath have been written and printed, over and over again. And yet, throughout these processes I have been acutely aware of the futility of my actions, as all of these gestures can only ever be an echo of what once was. However, it is my hope, that by drawing attention to the fragments and layers left behind, the weight of what cannot be recovered or remembered is revealed.
EMMA NISHIMURA received her MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2013 and her BA from the University of Guelph in 2005. Her work ranges from traditional etchings, archival pigment prints, drawings, and audio pieces to art installations. Using a diversity of media, her work addresses ideas of memory and loss that are rooted within family stories and inherited narratives. Her work is in public and private collections and has been exhibited in both Canada and the United States. Emma teaches at the Ontario College of Art and Design University, the University of Guelph and Sheridan College. www.emmanishimura.com
