Inspecting a culture as an outsider can be a difficult task, but artist Tomie Arai has the unique ability to simultaneously represent American and Japanese cultures through her personal art.
A compilation of Arai's work is currently on exhibit at the CEPA Gallery downtown in a series entitled "Untelling." Embodying two distinct cultures, the artist explores her dual identity through a myriad of artistic forms.
As a third-generation Japanese-American, Arai's work is influenced by many cultures, but there is an apparent focus on Japanese and Chinese cultures.
On the ground floor of the exhibit, there is an entire room dedicated to the family. The area, colored in red and gold, contains three round dining tables with chairs. The uncanny arrangement features chairs containing images of a person of Chinese descent.
What distinguishes this particular room from the rest is its dedication to the ancestry of the East Asian civilizations. Each chair highlights a moment in the person's life with excerpts on the back, adding a touch of personality and history.
In the second portion of the gallery, there is a contrast between bright colors - which seem to have a bigger spotlight on the cultural influences of Japan and China - and darker photos of still-life images.
One particularly striking portrait is that of a small, nude child. The child, standing on half of a peach, is surrounded by images of dragons, China, and imagery of American culture. Upon taking a closer look, spectators will notice a small image of a Ninja Turtle, an American boy's idol.
"Framing an American Identity," from 1991, takes the images of first-generation Japanese people and places them in a different illumination. The framework focuses on several differences in appearance between the earliest Japanese Americans and more modern Japanese.
"Framing an American Identity" is a set of simulated windows, giving the idea that the art viewers are just that, spectators. It is noteworthy, however, the way Tomie Arai includes a variation of cultures. By incorporating images of Chinese, Japanese, Japanese-Americans and Japanese African-Americans - to name a few - she includes many of the exhibit's visitors in the gallery experience.
According to the exhibit's research on the artwork, "Family Album" is a search into the genealogy of the name "Arai." What is particularly interesting is that the genealogical portions of the exhibit are not necessarily the ancestry of Tomie Arai herself.
The artwork was patched together from what remained after the family tried to resist World War II internment camps by burning the artifacts. As a result, the Arais were left to search for their remnants of their past. The exhibit was formed to express an appreciation for photography, visual art and culture.
Tomie Arai will be presenting "Untelling" at the CEPA gallery through Jan. 14.
