Japanese Canadian National Museum presents Half & Half: Mary Anne Tateishi and Robert Shiozaki , opening April 24, 2010 at the National Nikkei Museum & Heritage Centre, located at 6688 Southoaks Crescent in Burnaby, BC, and continuing until June 19.

An opening celebration will be held Saturday, April 24, 12-3pm as part of Celebrate Spring at Nikkei Place! Gallery conversation with the artists at 1pm.

Deeply inspired by the historic photographs and artifacts they found in the collections of the Japanese Canadian National Museum, Mary Anne Tateishi and Robert Shiozaki have each created new works that speak to their Japanese Canadian heritage.  Mary Anne Tateishi’s abstract paintings illustrate the vibrancy and vitality of Powell Street when it was a bustling and busy community before the war. She imagines what life for Japanese Canadians might have been like if there wasn’t a war. In contrast, Robert Shiozaki has created a place of contemplation in the middle of the gallery that inspires reflections on living history – how the museum collections represent the continuum and evolution of Japanese Canadian society. Together these artists explore their own unique perspectives on the passage of time, and their own place in the community.

May 6, 7pm Artist Talk by Mary Anne Tateishi