Kathy Yoshihara, Mieko
The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is pleased to present Mottainai, an exhibition of work by Kathy Yoshihara, an artist working in ceramics and mixed media. The exhibition will be presented July 27 – September 14 with an Opening Reception on Saturday, July 27th , 2 – 4 pm. The public is invited to attend.
A Southern California Native, Kathy Yoshihara received her BA in painting, sculpture and graphic arts from the University of California, Los Angeles. She combines her computer graphic knowledge to produce multimedia work in glass, ceramics, and found/recycled objects. Yoshihara’s work is guided and inspired by her Japanese American heritage and practice of Mottainai – finding value in re-purposing, reusing, and recycling. Her sculptural ceramics are personal tributes to her ancestors and the many forgotten Executive Order 9066 prisoners, addressing the Japanese American imprisonment and its effect on future generations. As Yoshihara explains: “Over 120,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and illegally imprisoned. Their crime – looking like the enemy. They were given a week to prepare and could only take what they could carry. They survived by practicing ‘gaman’ – accepting hardships/adversity with patience, dignity, and perseverance. They buried their memories, anger, and feelings of shame as they became ‘model Americans’. Most were silent, never speaking about their experiences and feeling.” What began as memorials to departed relatives, has evolved into an examination of racism, social injustice, and generational identity of Japanese Americans pre and post WWII.
“I reveal the story from a personal perspective, by combining traditional Japanese objects, historical content, and memorabilia,” Yoshihara says. “My ceramic/multi-media dioramas question attitudes that are still prevalent today. I want future generations to experience the hardships they endured as their rights as Americans were denied. By making an emotional connection, I want the viewer to recognize, question, and act upon injustices based on race, nationality, language, or any other differences.”
The Beatrice Wood Center for the Arts is located at 8585 Ojai-Santa Paula Road in Upper Ojai. The Center can be reached by e-mail at [email protected] or by calling the Center at 805-646-3381
