A Retrospective on "Nancy 2024: A Retrospective Art Exhibit"

On Sunday, October 6, I had the honor to attend Nancy 2024: A Retrospective Art Exhibit by Nancy Uyemura, hosted by LA Artcore in Little Tokyo. And while I wouldn’t consider myself the most artsy person by any means, I found myself inspired not only by Uyemura’s wonderful artwork on display but also the copious amounts of support that the community gave to her show.

Upon entering, I was immediately greeted by what would remain my favorite piece in the exhibit: a collection of glimpses, from the sky to the sea and everything in between. The first section in the gallery presented many different paintings, but “October in Costa Rica” immediately resonated with me because of its unique composition. These tiny windows provided small views into different days and possibly different lives, mixing many different mediums and even adding a uniquely Japanese touch by using washi paper. The ever-so-slight texture of paper on paper stood out to me as individual snapshots coming together to create a calendar of nature and wonder. 

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As I continued to wander, the exhibit presented a more intricate assortment of media deeper into the display. Further back, certain pieces were arranged in cabinets, creating an intriguing arrangement of many pieces from different times in Uyemura’s life. It felt like I was taking an intimate look into her home and her life — and sometimes even my own life, as I continued to recognize elements of Japanese America. 

One bachan said that she recognized the boxes used in “Before Enlightenment” (Ura and Omote series, 2012, mixed media assemblage) at the bottom right of Cabinet B to be a kamaboko (Japanese fish cake) box. As I observed these individual pieces more closely, I was filled with a unique sense of familiarity, quite literally seeing myself, my childhood, and my life in Uyemura’s art. 

But it soon became clear that these pieces were not always displayed so openly. As I peered closer into the cabinets, I realized there were often two pieces displayed in one, but some were fixed to the backside of their pair and viewable primarily through an attached mirror. With the title of the exhibit representing a reflection on Uyemura’s past and also the Japanese American community’s past as a whole, these mirror pieces served as a remarkable way to display distinct pieces simultaneously. The question also arises of which pieces were chosen to be displayed and which pieces were chosen to be reflected — possibly a depiction of outward semblances versus what is contained below the surface, an intriguing method of displaying her art. 

One of her series, “View from my window,” also commemorated the history behind Uyemura’s connections to downtown LA and the Japanese American Community in Little Tokyo. Many of her pieces were created in the midst of her eviction from a building in the Arts District where JA artists had lived since the early 80s. This simple and serene piece “Whisper,” reflecting the tranquility of the artist’s surroundings, is also the favorite of Anna Iwataki, the curator of the show: “I really love this series based on what she could see out of her window out of the building. I've always been interested in the perspective from this place on downtown LA and Little Tokyo as it changed through the decades.”

Toward the back of the exhibit, this mixed media piece stood out as fragments of ceramics and glass. Created in the aftermath of the 1994 Northridge earthquake, Uyemura used her mother’s shattered pottery to transform broken into beautiful. Ceramics have always been an essential component of my JA experience, as my own grandmother used to own a dish shop and still saves all her favorite ones to pass down to me. Uyemura’s ability to see grace in such misfortune displays resilience through this work, commemorating and honoring what has been broken rather than making an attempt to repair it. 

Finally, tucked away into the backmost wall of the exhibit lay this beautiful transformational piece, depicting the transitional period between night and day. The light portion was confined to the “front” of the composition, while the dark portion was confined to the “back,” or at least the small part that was revealed through what resembles the folding of paper. This reflection on the cycle of light and dark resonated with me deeply as I was immediately reminded of origami, the art of folding paper to create something truly remarkable out of something seemingly ordinary.

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I believe that is what Uyemura has done with this collection: taken elements of her life and elements of Japanese America that she holds close to her heart, and displayed them in a wonderful cabinet reminding me of my own life and my place in Japanese America. While her works are not overtly about Asian American identity, they inherently reflect her connection to the surrounding community, and their overwhelming love and support on the day of the exhibit. This retrospective art exhibit has not only given a perspective into the past, but also a glimpse into the future, as I continue to realize just how much value art, culture, and community have in creating a Japanese America full of resilience and joy.