Gina Ariko: Ikebana and the Art of Resilience
In Ikebana and the Art of Resilience, Seattle-based artist Gina Ariko presents a moving exploration of creativity, resilience, and remembrance through the lens of Japanese American incarceration during World War II. This timely exhibition鈥攕upported by the 2025 Kip Tokuda Memorial Grant鈥攔eflects on the legacy of floral artworks and arrangements created by Japanese Americans held in internment camps across the U.S.A. Visitors are invited to contemplate the enduring power of creative expression during times of upheaval.
Drawing from archival research and personal heritage, Ariko鈥檚 work investigates the meditative, healing qualities of ikebana鈥攖he Japanese art of floral arrangement鈥攁s both a cultural tradition and a form of resilience under duress. Paintings, installations, and floral arrangements echo the quiet strength of detainees who found ways to create beauty amidst confinement, connecting viewers to a broader narrative about survival, adaptation, and the role of art in survival.
Throughout the month, Ariko will also host a series of free community workshops: ikebana-inspired watercolor painting, artificial flower-making inspired by camp archives, and floral arranging based on traditional Japanese techniques. Designed to foster engagement across generations and cultural backgrounds, the workshops create space for empathy as well as learning through hands-on experience.
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In Ikebana and the Art of Resilience, Seattle-based artist Gina Ariko presents a moving exploration of creativity, resilience, and remembrance through the lens of Japanese American incarceration during World War II. This timely exhibition鈥攕upported by the 2025 Kip Tokuda Memorial Grant鈥攔eflects on the legacy of floral artworks and arrangements created by Japanese Americans held in internment camps across the U.S.A. Visitors are invited to contemplate the enduring power of creative expression during times of upheaval.
Drawing from archival research and personal heritage, Ariko鈥檚 work investigates the meditative, healing qualities of ikebana鈥攖he Japanese art of floral arrangement鈥攁s both a cultural tradition and a form of resilience under duress. Paintings, installations, and floral arrangements echo the quiet strength of detainees who found ways to create beauty amidst confinement, connecting viewers to a broader narrative about survival, adaptation, and the role of art in survival.
Throughout the month, Ariko will also host a series of free community workshops: ikebana-inspired watercolor painting, artificial flower-making inspired by camp archives, and floral arranging based on traditional Japanese techniques. Designed to foster engagement across generations and cultural backgrounds, the workshops create space for empathy as well as learning through hands-on experience.
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