Sites of Memory brings together artists whose works address the internment of Japanese Canadians during World War II. Norman Takeuchi and Emma Nishimura use documentary records in their work. Takeuchi’s series of kimono and drawings evoke the lost possessions that hold memory and Nishimura’s sculptural installation revisits the practice of furoshiki, integrating family photographs and individual stories while offering an understanding of community as the site of collective memory.

Join Norman and Emma for a conversation moderated by local community organizer Melisa Kamibayashi-Staples. They will reflect on personal histories of internment and the ways they are constructed through official narratives, and how their works articulate a delicate balance between remembering and forgetting.

Admission is free and everyone is welcome! CUAG is an accessible space with barrier-free washrooms.

Discount parking passes ($5.00 flat rate) will be available for purchase at the tunnel entrance from 6:45 p.m. - 7:10 p.m. Please see the visiting page of CUAG’s website for directions.

Norman Takeuchi is a graduate of the Vancouver School of Art. Early in his career, he worked both as an exhibition designer (Expo 67, Expo 70, Canadian Museum of Nature) and an artist. He became a full-time artist in 1996 and has since participated in many solo and group exhibitions. Takeuchi’s work is represented in numerous collections including Carleton University Art Gallery, Canada Council Art Bank Ottawa Art Gallery, Confederation Centre Art Gallery, Royal Ontario Museum and Canadian War Museum and in private collections in Canada and abroad. He lives in Ottawa.

Emma Nishimura’s work ranges from traditional etchings, archival pigment prints, drawings and audio pieces to art installations. She received an MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (2013) and a BA from the University of Guelph (2005). Her work is in public and private collections and has been exhibited nationally and internationally including, the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON; the Royal Academy of Arts, London, UK; California Institute of Integral Studies, San Francisco, CA; and the Taimiao Art Gallery, Beijing, China. Emma is Chair of Photography, Printmaking and Publications at OCAD University in Toronto, and the recipient of the Queen Sonja Print Award 2018.

Melisa Kamibayashi-Staples is a Community Producer and a reporter for the television program Contact Japan. She is currently the President of the Ottawa Japanese Community Association.