Art-In-Between: Trauma, Identity, and Representation

2315 North Kenmore Avenue,Chicago IL 60614

19 May, 2022

Description

Join the Japanese Arts Foundation and DePaul University for "Art-In-Between: Trauma, Identity, and Representation" Art-In-Between: Trauma, Identity, and Representation Thursday, May 19th 7:00pm / 6:30pm Reception with Refreshments DePaul University, Lincoln Park Campus Arts and Letters Hall, Room 103 Join the Japanese Arts Foundation in partnership with DePaul University to host a special panel discussion, “Art-In-Between: Trauma, Identity, and Representation.”This event features four distinguished artists—Michael Koerner (chemist/photo artist), Mami Takahashi (multidisciplinary artist), Jason Matsumoto (film director), and Mayumi Lake (artist)—to discuss the traumas and struggles in their lives and explain how they translate or transform such experiences into art forms. They all identify themselves as being in a space of “in-betweenness” and thereby challenge the boundaries that divide people socially, culturally, nationally, linguistically, racially, sexually, and legally. Employing various approaches, their artistic practices question and complicate those historically constructed boundaries thereby reshaping our perceptions of, and interactions with, others. By calling into question such boundaries from the vantage point of in-betweenness, the panelists will demonstrate the potential of art to address society’s problems and to empower individuals and communities. For inquires please contact Saira Chambers: [email protected] Panelists Information [Art-In-Between: Trauma, Identity, and Representation]Mike Koerner (Teacher, Artist, Scientist, Entrepreneur, Father, Explorer, Collodion-Historian-Photo-Experimentalist, but … not specifically in that order) Koerner’s work reflects upon his family’s struggle to overcoming the health effects that resulted from the atomic bombing of Nagasaki, Japan in 1945. Koerner’s mother was eleven years old at that time and lived in Sasebo, Japan, which is less than 40 miles away from the blast. The effects of prolonged exposure from living in a gamma-irradiated environment during her reproductive developmental years led to many long-term health complications for herself and inherited genetic issues for the family. The artist is the oldest (and the last surviving) of five brothers. Talk Title: “Art from Trauma in the Nuclear Age” Mami Takahashi (Multidisciplinary artist) Mami Takahashi is a multidisciplinary artist from Tokyo, currently resident in two cities Portland, Oregon and Chicago IL. Using photography, performance, installation and urban intervention, her practice explores the complexities of being an Asian woman living in the US. Previous exhibitions and performances have taken place at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco Art Institute, The International Museum of Art, El Paso, Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Canada, Gwangju Folk Art Museum in Korea, Instituto Municipal del Arte la Cultura in Mexico and Toriizaka Art Gallery in Tokyo, among other venues. She holds an MFA from Portland State University, a BFA from Joshibi University of Art in Japan. Takahashi is a recipient of the Ford Family Award for MASS MoCA residency and the Pacific Northwest College of Art+Leland Iron Work residency. Talk Title: “Voices from Japanese Women Artists” Jason Matsumoto (Director/Composer) Jason is a fourth-generation Japanese American producer and musician from Chicago. He cofounded Full Spectrum Features, a Chicago-based scripted film company. Jason is the director and primary composer for Ho Etsu Taiko, and is also a strategy consultant for kaDON / Miyamoto Unosuke Shoten (Tokyo), a 150 year old traditional Japanese instrument maker who officially serves the Emperor of Japan. He also currently serves as the acting President of the Board of Directors at Midwest Buddhist Temple. Talk Title: “Audience Impact/A Producer’s Perspective on Art Making” Mayumi Lake (Teacher and Director at School of Art Institute/Artist) Mayumi Lake (b. Osaka, Japan) is an interdisciplinary artist, whose work delves into childhood and pubescent dreams, phobia and desires. She employs herself and others as her models, as well as dolls, toys, weapons, vintage clothes, and altered landscapes as her props. Mayumi received her MFA in Photography from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, and has published 2 monographs from Nazraeli Press. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, The Museum of Fine Arts, Huston, Asia Society, Facebook, and more. Talk Title: “Fantasy, phobia, and floating in-between”