Canadian Nikkei Artist
Canadian Nikkei Artist series will focus on those in the Japanese Canadian community who are actively involved in the ongoing evolution: the artists, musicians, writers/poets and, broadly speaking, anybody else in the arts who grapples with their sense of identity. As such, the series will introduce Discover Nikkei readers to a wide range of ‘voices’, both established and emerging, that have something to say about their identity. This series aims to stir this cultural pot of Nikkeiness and, ultimately, build meaningful connections with Nikkei everywhere.
Stories from this series
The Art Gallery of Ontario Honours Japanese Canadian Artist, Kaz Nakamura—Part 2
May 6, 2024 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
Read Part 1 >> Akira Yoshikawa, Artist, Toronto My first encounter with Kazuo Nakamura’s artwork was at the Art Gallery of Ontario. I was still a teenager trying to decide what direction to take after my graduation from high school. I knew I had strong interests in design and architecture. As I was roaming around the gallery, one painting in particular caught my attention. The painting depicted stacked architectural blocks in a minimal modernist landscape. The artist had only used black, …
The Art Gallery of Ontario Honours Japanese Canadian Artist, Kaz Nakamura—Part 1
May 5, 2024 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
The Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) in Toronto is featuring an exhibition of the works of Japanese Canadian artist Kazuo Nakamura (1926-2002), one of the giants of the Canadian art scene. The exhibition is scheduled to be up for the next two years. You can view it on Level 2 in Gallery 225 (Bovey Gallery). “Kaz,” as he was affectionately called, is celebrated for his abstract paintings that engage with the geometric forms and universal laws of nature. Distinguished by …
Book Review—White Riot: The 1907 Anti-Asian Riots in Vancouver
Jan. 29, 2024 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
“Anti-Chinese sentiment is on the rise yet again, especially since 2020 with the COVID-19 pandemic, and with it a dramatic increase in anti-Asian violence. Fanned by anti-China sentiment, animosity and blame extended into a pan-East Asian discrimination that targeted vulnerable people, especially lower-income seniors and women, which in turn became its own epidemic. If there was ever any doubt about whether events in the past impact our current lives, this is yet more proof.” — Author Henry Tsang (1964- ), …
Takeuchi's Shapes In Between Retrospective: 60 Years and Counting - Part 2
July 24, 2023 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
Read Part 1 >> Prior to 1995, Norman admits that he had little contact with the JC community: “My focus was on the local (Ottawa) art community and producing my own work and there appeared to be no one from the JC community who was part of this.” He designed the 1977 poster for the JC Centennial based on Arthur Irizawa’s Centennial logo as the main image in the poster.” His first and only trip to Japan was in 1969-1970 to …
Takeuchi's Shapes In Between Retrospective: 60 Years and Counting - Part 1
July 23, 2023 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
“Trying to figure out what it means to be Japanese Canadian is messy work. To sum it up: to me, being JC means feeling conflicted. After all these years of being who I am, I still seem to have to convince myself that I’m Canadian. I’m very aware that no matter where I go, whether it’s to restaurants, art galleries, or the curling rink, I look different from everyone around me. “The prevalence of racism and the reflections in the …
The Artistry of British Columbia’s Tsuneko Kokubo: Of Light Itself
Oct. 14, 2022 • Norm Masaji Ibuki
“My true understanding of art began when I met Koko at the Vancouver School of Art so many years ago. By listening to what she had to say and watching her work, I learned that making art meant going beyond the obvious and searching for something more, and I’ve tried to stay on this path ever since. Amazingly, after all these years, her total dedication to dancing and to making beautiful art has remained undiminished, and has been an inspiration. …
