“I Know What It Looks Like” is a research-based art project about my heritage and events throughout Canadian history. This show focuses on my Metis and Japanese-Canadian background, and it is an artistic expression of controversial cultural events in the history of Canada related to those two sides of my ancestry. It consists of 6 large paintings and a selection of original illustrations. Themes include Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, the Residential School system, Reconciliation, Japanese Canadian Internment and the Redress Movement. I introduced 3 colors to my black and white palette; red ochre, yellow ochre, and orange. These colors were meticulously chosen to express specific references found during my research. The imagery also reflects the same attention to fact, as all of the resources I used can be found below. With recognition of the events that guide the themes in this project, we become part of the process of healing and justice; carrying the stories for future generations to learn from.

​

Special thanks to Edmonton Arts Council Individual Project Grant & Edmonton Japanese Community Association Library.