September 11 - November 27, 2010
Opening Party, September 10 at 7pm
Artist Talks, September 16 and October 7 at 7pm

Greg Masuda
Mark Takeshi McGregor
Natalie Purschwitz
Miyuki Shinkai
 
What bonds do we have with the past? How will we maintain links into the future? As part of its 10^th Anniversary celebrations, the Japanese Canadian National Museum is pleased to present Kizuna: Connecting through Generations. This new exhibit brings together four contemporary artists of Japanese Canadian ancestry:  Greg Masuda (photographer/filmmaker); Mark Takeshi McGregor (musician and contemporary music collaborator), Natalie Purschwitz (interdisciplinary artist working with fibre and textiles); and Miyuki Shinkai (painter and glass artist). 
 
The term Kizuna means bonds or ties. Each artist has created a thought-provoking new work inspired by discussion with an elder in the Japanese Canadian community and through exploration of the museum collections . The end result is a unique presentation of history and community - a contemporary art piece that mixes the past and present and speaks to the future.

Greg Masuda was inspired through discussions with Lily Shinde to rethink his ideas about internment in the Powell Street area of Vancouver. Vancouver’s Dispossessed looks at the systematic discrimination and the concept of loss in three separate instances in Vancouver, putting Japanese Canadian experience in the context of a broader pattern.

Mark Takeshi McGregor is collaborating with two people, Shizu Hayashi and Yota Kobayashi, to produce Shiki , a sound installation that evokes a sense of nostalgia linked to his grandparents lives in Steveston, their community and the four seasons.

Natalie Purschwitz’s work, Trace, investigates the role of clothing as a form of cultural production. Working with community seamstress Mary Ohara, she was struck by the many points of intersection along their individual paths. In response, she has created a literal and abstract path through the gallery space.

Miyuki Shinkai is making a connection with Miki-san, a former teacher who shares ancestral roots in Japan. Miyuki has created Renew, Rebirth, Regenerating.... an abstract painting representing the flow of time and blown glass jars filled with objects of memory and family, as a celebration of the cycle of life and a token of our existence in life. She especially honours women as the core of the family. 

Join the 10^th Anniversary celebrations at the Opening Party on Friday, September 10^th at 7pm . Enjoy performances by Carolyn Chan, Mark Takeshi McGregor, Yota Kobayashi, and Katari Taiko. Enjoy delicious appetizers and a cash bar. Tickets only $10; members free. Call 604.777.7000.

 
Generously sponsored by the Canada Council – Conseil des Arts du Canada, the National Association of Japanese Canadians, the City of Burnaby and the Burnaby Arts Council.
 

Japanese Canadian National Museum www.jcnm.ca

Kizuna blog www.kizunaproject.blogspot.com