Tiffany’s portrait tells the story of the 442nd Army Battalion made up entirely of Japanese Americans who fought in Europe and Africa during World War II.

As a way to see the ink on panels portraits and the fine detail that is hard to see online I am making videos about each portrait that present the work in the way I would want you to see it with the narrative I would be speaking as if we were viewing the work together.

The first one is my Grandfather:

Another ink on panel portrait of my father taken from a photograph by Dorothea Lange of the Japanese American Internment during WWII. The text is Executive Order 9066 which established the internment camps.

This and more of the ink portraits will be a part of a show at the Japanese American Museum in San Jose running August 1, 2020 thru February 3, 2021. There will be upcoming online events and hopefully open to see in person.

Detail:

Tiffany is the granddaughter of Roy Sakasegawa who was drafted into the U.S. army in August 1941 from Salinas CA four months before Pearl Harbor. After the attack Roy’s family was incarcerated along with 120 thousand people of Japanese descent, 62% were American, in Poston Arizona one of the 10 internment camps set up to house the internees.

Roy went on to serve in the 442nd Infantry division composed of Japanese Americans who fought mostly in Europe. The 442nd Regiment is the most decorated unit for its size in U.S. Military history. The unit earned more the 18,000 awards including 21 Medal of Honor.

The text used to make the marks is Executive Order 9102 that established the War Relocation Authority the agency responsible for the forced relocation and internment of Japanese Americans during WWII.

“Tiffany” 60 x 37 Ink on panel

Detail:

These portraits speak to the courage and individual strength each of us posses in times of struggle and isolation.

This is Heather, she is a 1st Lt serving in the United States Air Force. Her grandfather Silvino Parcasio served in the Philippine scouts from 1927-1945 when in 1942 he was captured by the Japanese Imperial Army forced into the Bataan Death March and imprisoned. Upon liberation by the United States in 1944 he enlisted in the US Army in 1945 and served until 1962.

Many of Silvino’s compatriots, who were American Nationals by way of the Philippines being an American Commonwealth, were federalized to fight with the US Army in 1941 when the Japanese invaded the Philippines and were promised U.S. military benefits and services. In 1946 the U.S. government rescinded those military benefits to those that chose to return to civilian life.

The text is the Rescission Act of 1946 that annulled benefits promised to the Philippine Scouts.

“Heather” 60″ x 37″ Ink on panel

Detail:

I have started on a new series addressing environmental issues that use forests and trees as a theme.

“Mary Jo” had an abortion at age 21 when she didn’t feel she could provide what was necessary emotionally or financially to raise a child on her own. Without legalized abortion women will risk their life to have the freedom to make decisions about their bodies and the way they live their own lives.

Prior to 1821 abortion was legal in all 50 states. In 1821 Connecticut was the first state to ban abortion. The text is made up of two pieces the first is the statute from the bylaws of the State of Connecticut from 1821 which banned abortions. The second is the Comstock Laws of 1873, which was the first federal law to address abortion. This Act criminalized usage of the U.S Postal Service to send items related to abortion.

“Mary Jo” 60″ x 37″ Ink on panel

Detail:

“Ash” rediscovered her sexuality while in college and finally made the choice to come out with the support of her sister. Since then she has become a speaker, activist and advocate of the LGBTQ community.

The text is Executive Order 10450 from 1953 that used broad language to ban homosexuals from working in the federal government notably the armed services. The Executive Order was part of a larger movement that included mass firings in the 1950’s and was referred to as the “Lavender Scare” which was discrimination based on sexual orientation. The “Lavender Scare” worked in parallel with the “Red Scare” of the same time period that targeted communism in the United States.

“ash” 60″ x 37″ Ink on panel

Detail:

I will be showing 2 pieces from my new ink on panel portrait series that examine the current social and political environment and put contemporary elements in context with historical events. I use the text from government documents or declarations from the past and use those words as my mark to make portraits of people standing strong in the face of government oppression.

The show will run Aug 22-Nov 21. 2019, in The W. Keith & Janet Kellogg University Art Gallery on the Cal Poly Pomona campus

Opening is Saturday September 7th, 2019 from 2-5 pm

“Grandfather” 60×37

This is a portrait is of my grandfather depicted as he was waiting to board a bus to the Internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. The photograph I referenced for the portrait was taken by Dorothea Lange as she and Ansel Adams were commissioned to document the internment of Japanese Americans.  This portrait and how it relates to what is happening now was the starting point for this series. There is a common connection that is at once deeply personal and at the same time universal that I hope will inspire dialog and further research on the viewers behalf.

“Manzanar” 36×48

Using one of Toyo Miyatake’s iconic photographs from Manzanar as a reference I utilize words as my mark to reinterpret his image to show strength in the face of oppression. The words are Executive Order 9066 which authorized the imprisonment of West coast Japanese Americans and Executive Order 9102 which established the War Relocation Authority who oversaw the internment.

Bluerider Art