[BCMA] Celebrating Nikkei Artists: "Umami" Exhibition at NNMCC

[Moderated BCMA subscriber listserv]

*Umami: Savouring Artistic Nikkei Identity*



   -

   *February – September 2025*
   -

   *Part 1:* February 8 – May 17, 2025
   -

   *Part 2:* May 27 – September 27, 2025
   -

   *Exhibit Opening + Artists’ Conversations:* February 13 and May 29, 6 –
   8pm



In our 25th anniversary year, the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre
(NNMCC) celebrates the vibrant and diverse artistic expressions of Japanese
Canadians with the "Umami: Savouring Artistic Nikkei Identity" exhibition
from February through September in the Karasawa Gallery.


Just as “Umami” represents the complex layers of flavour in cuisine, this
exhibition delves into the depth and richness of Nikkei artistic identity.
Featuring a diverse range of artists, from emerging to established,
including Japanese Canadian Legacies Art fund awardees
<https://jclegaciesfund.com/funding-streams/arts/>. From traditional to
contemporary art practice, the *Umami* exhibition shares the rich essence
of our Japanese Canadian creative community.


Anchoring the exhibition is the interactive and thought-provoking
*Kintsugi* installation
by *Annie Sumi and Brian Kobayakawa*. This contemporary multimedia piece,
inspired by the traditional Japanese art of mending ceramics with gold,
conceptually mends broken and shattered experiences of what it means to be
Canadian of Japanese ancestry. It utilizes a Singer sewing machine that
survived the era of Japanese Canadian internment and dispossession. By
manually manipulating the machine, visitors can activate original music and
spoken word, creating a unique and moving experience.


Part 1 of the Umami exhibition also showcases the work of *Todd Inouye, Ken
Mizokoshi, and Wendy Tanaka*, each offering unique perspectives on the
Japanese Canadian experience through their distinct artistic styles.
Inouye's work focuses on materiality and healing. Mizokoshi takes an
archival approach to photography. Tanaka combines portraiture of both
family members and treasured objects. Inouye, Mizokoshi, and Tanaka will be
in attendance at the Exhibit Opening + Artists’ Conversations on February
13.


*Experience the Umami exhibition and explore the rich tapestry of Nikkei
artistic expression. Visit the NNMCC from February to September 2025.*


Part 1: Feb 8 – May 17, 2025

   -

   Todd Inouye <https://www.toddinouye.com/>
   -

   Brian Kobayakawa & Annie Sumi <https://kintsugi-installation.com/>
   -

   Ken Mizokoshi <https://www.mizokoshiken.com/>
   -

   Wendy Tanaka


Part 2: May 27 – Sept 27, 2025

   -

   Molly JF Caldwell <https://www.mollyjfcaldwell.com/>
   -

   Yoshiko Hirano
   -

   Marlene Howell <https://www.marlenehowellgallery.com/>

   Bryan Kobayakawa & Annie Sumi <https://kintsugi-installation.com/>
   -

   Vivien Nishi
   <https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0632643/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1#art_director>
   -

   Reiko Pleau <https://reikopleau.tumblr.com/>



Supported by the *Province of British Columbia* and the* Japanese Canadian
Legacies Society*.


Nichola Ogiwara 荻原にこら

Communications Coordinator
Nikkei National Museum & Cultural Centre

日系文化センター・博物館
6688 Southoaks Crescent, Burnaby BC  V5E 4M7
*T* 604.777.7000 ext.109


<https://centre.nikkeiplace.org/>    <https://www.facebook.com/NNMCC>
<https://www.instagram.com/nikkeimuseum/>
<https://twitter.com/nikkeimuse>
<https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKRcTPnSV-jRd6Ob6u4GrqQ>
We respectfully acknowledge that the Nikkei National Museum & Cultural
Centre is on the unceded traditional territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh
<https://www.squamish.net/> Nation and the Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ - speaking
Nations, including the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm <https://www.musqueam.bc.ca/>,
səl̓ilwətaɁɬ <https://twnation.ca/>, and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm
<https://www.kwikwetlem.com/>, whose ancestors have cared for these lands
for countless generations. We are honoured to live, learn and gather
together, on Indigenous land <https://maps.fpcc.ca/>.
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20250128/a4440cf8/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Umami Poster.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 606858 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20250128/a4440cf8/attachment.jpg>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: Umami-part-1-artist-talk-invite.jpg
Type: image/jpeg
Size: 216189 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <http://lists.museum.bc.ca/pipermail/listserv-museum.bc.ca/attachments/20250128/a4440cf8/attachment-0001.jpg>