ヒステリー [Hysteria]
This project is about the mass hysteria following the Pearl Harbour Attack, and how it impacted on people with Japanese ancestry, after Executive Order 9066 was signed by President Roosevelt. Over 120,000 people were sent to 10 internment camps across the United States, and MAKIKO recently discovered that her great, great uncle was one of them. The work is mainly focused on what happened in the Tule Lake camp, the first camp in which he was interned. The research takes in archive materials, interviews and visits, as well as considering the internees’ strengths based on solidarity, and how they thrived between 1942 - 1945 and into the post-war period.
KYUGORO book
While most of the works from ヒステリー [Hysteria] focuses on how the mass hysteria affected over 120,000 Japapanese-Americans during the war, KYUGORO book is more about him, who emigrated to the US at the turn of the 20th century. she tried to weave a storyline inspired by his life and describe what a journey (emotionally and physically in relation to historical events) would look like for Japanese people during the period between the late 19th century and post-war. She made a palm size book, replicating his 65 years-old hymnal with a leather cover, given by one of his granddaughters.
This dummy book is nominated for The Star Photobook Dummy Award, FUNDACIÓN PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIAL VISION and SIPF Photobook Showcase 2024.
The link to its flip-through clip is here.
Book
Pages: 112
Dimension: 14 x 19 cm
Edition 3/3
Date of production: 05/2024
Hymns
74 pages from Kyugoro’s hymnal had red circles drawn around the page numbers on the right or left corners of the top pages. MAKIKO assumed that Kyugoro (her great great uncle) and his wife Tone might have sung them while attending Mass.
MAKIKO is looking for places to exhibit particularly for the moving image version.
There is also wall-size installation consists of selected 16 images with 240 x 160 cm dimension.
Moving image, Photography
Date of production: 05/2024
Going towards
MAKIKO has been continuously questioning herself how to blend past (archive images) and present (what she shoot) in an artistic way. She realised that blurriness is a key. A film shot from a long video clip from her road trip driving through forests in the mountains to/from Oregon to the Tule Lake camp located in northern California.
Photography
Dimension: approx. 70 x 100 cm
Date of production: 05/2024
Collage
This collage was made from one of 200 archive photos from National Relocation Authority, which MAKIKO received from the chairman of the Tule Lake Committee.
Collage
Dimension: Approx. H 102 x W 97 cm
And then, and then things happened
This mixed media work is inspired by Gerhard Richter. Early 2024 MAKIKO was tutored by Peter Kennard.
UV printed photography, Collage of archive photos, acrylic paint, Japanese dyed mud pigment powder, Japanese calligraphy ink
Dimension: approx. 70 x 100 cm
Edition 1/1
Date of production: 5/2024
Castle Rock
These are recent additions to the main project shot during the Independence Day weekend 2024.
Joined the pilgrim trip (coordinated by the Tule Lake Committee) and climbed up Castle Rock, which is the landmark site from the camp. Sharing moments with others who have family connections. Nearly 40 degrees without humidity.
*****
All gone, I am alone
Spring 2024, while working on ‘blurriness’ on archives and started incorporating painting, MAKIKO was tutored by Peter Kennard. Apart from ヒステリー[Hysteria], she produced this single piece, combining 100 years old family archive photos which she discovered after her parents passed away recent years.
It is about decline of a frugal Samurai family, her paternal side, from Choshu Domain, which struggled to maintain family lineage.
This particular work was selected and exhibited at The National Art Center Tokyo during June 2024.
Mixed media (Photography, collage, arcylic painting)
Dimension: 40 x 60 cm (original)
60 x 90 cm (digital print)