Folded Fortunes

Gilded Cast bronze, Steel, and wood 10’x 4’x 4’, Beatty, NV

Created as part of the Goldwell Open Air Museum’s 2021 Bullfrog Biennial

Folded fortunes looks at hapa identity and Japanese-American identity and culture. Specifically, a history of Japanese-American incarceration/internment throughout World War II and the incredible amount of fortunes lost during this dark time period. Each gilded bronze origami crane represents one of camp locations, and features local flora from that region. During the summer of 2021 I traveled the country visiting each one of the sites to create this installation. While the cranes feature war torn edges, I gilded them to highlight the unique hapa culture and the strength of the Japanese-Americans and stories of prosperity after incarceration. During interviews with other hapa Japanese-Americans I talked with a few who mentioned family making kanzashi with fabric scraps while in the camps. As a way to pay homage I included cast hana kanzashi into the piece, with each representing the 1/16th percentage requirement to qualify for incarceration.