Richmond BC, Canada #richmondartgallerybc
By enlarging and painting on archival photographs, Nabata brings the past into the present in this series that illustrates the transience of life. With these paintings, the artist would like to add to the collective memory of the Japanese Canadian experience.
As part of the Richmond Art Gallery’s outreach to the community, the Gallery displays artworks by local artists at the Richmond City Hall Galleria every 6 to 8 weeks.
The Galleria is located on the main floor of Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond, BC. Viewing hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The Galleria is not open on the weekends or during public holidays. To enter the Richmond City Hall, please use the entrance leading to the City Hall cashiers. Any door may be used to exit the building.
Refer to www.richmondartgallery.org/galleria
Exhibition Statement
As a third-generation Canadian of Japanese descent, Dona Nabata’s connection to her family’s cultural heritage is one of distance. This distance, as a result of both geography and time, is a source of inspiration to Nabata who interprets history using contemporary artistic means. She draws from archival photographs of people, places and objects from Japanese culture and creates works by enlarging the images on her canvas, and then drawing and painting to create a new narrative. Outside of History brings the past into the present and illustrates the transience of life. “With these paintings, I would like to add to the collective memory of the Japanese Canadian experience. Instead of being invisible, the shadows of the past become clearer when spoken about and brought to the fore.”
Artist Biography
Dona Nabata was born and raised in Canada and graduated with honours from Emily Carr College of Art and Design (now Emily Carr University). She also studied at Kyoritsu Primitive Art in Tokyo, Japan, and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Asian Studies, Japanese Language and Literature from the University of British Columbia. Nabata also spent time at the Shimpo Togei Centre in Tokyo where she took up pottery.
