Golden Repair (2022)
Artists Erin Shigaki & Mari Shibuya
The framework of the mural is kintsugi 金継ぎ, the Japanese art of mending broken pottery pieces with golden lacquer. It treats breakage and repair as part of the history of an object, rather than something to disguise. The metaphor speaks to the brokenness and traumas that the Nikkei (Japanese American) community and all Black, Indigenous and people of color communities have faced, as well as our resilience and absolute ability to heal and become a more beautiful collective of human beings, continually contributing to the flourishing of this country.
We chose historic photographs grounded in the Bellevue Japanese American experience, which was occupationally based in agriculture. We extend our story to Indigenous and migrant groups who have worked to build, feed and enrich not only this region, but the entire United States. This artwork is intended to highlight the immigration policies put in place by the United States government, which is responsible for the initial fractures and oppressive systems that form the backbone of this country to this day.
Growing through the kintsugi are flowers that represent hope, resilience, strength, and protection. They also stand for the intrinsic intelligence and perseverance of our communities and the capacity to transform the raw material of oppressive experiences into beauty.
“Our hope is that people who encounter the Bellevue Japanese American Legacy Bridge Span Mural will consider the impact of this history and see the threads and context that gave rise to this moment, so that they may also see the ways that they can create a future where such atrocities never again occur”, say yonsei (fourth-generation Japanese American) artists Erin Shigaki and Mari Shibuya.
“Our interest in the Bellevue Japanese American Legacy Bridge Span Mural Project is based on our commitment to creating spaces of preservation, healing, storytelling, and cultural reclamation for the Japanese American community, and for all Americans. In our work, we also strive to use our moral authority to educate others about and amplify the way that the Japanese American incarceration story intersects with the past and present American legacy of detention, mass incarceration, and stolen resources.”
