“Knowing that the wood came from a branch of the cherry tree at Joy Kogawa’s childhood home, coupled with the knowledge of Devin’s similar Japanese Canadian family history, makes working with this wood so much more meaningful. I am grateful and excited to be a part of this project.”
― Eileen Kiyonaga
Artist Profile: Eileen Kiyonaga
Eileen Kiyonaga is a multidisciplinary artist who lives in Squamish but resided in Marpole when she and her husband, Devin, first moved to Vancouver. She loves seeing the cherry trees blossom every spring and in school learned about the Japanese cultural practice of hanami and the cherry tree festival.
Devin’s family is of Japanese heritage and always had a cherry tree in their garden to preserve their link with Japan. His paternal grandparents lived in Vancouver and Cumberland when the Second World War broke out. They were labelled “enemy aliens” and their homes were confiscated.
The grandmother’s family was sent directly to St. Thomas, ON, where they lived and worked on the then premier of Ontario’s family farm. The grandfather’s family was sent to Slocan in the BC interior.
When Devin’s grandfather spoke up about living conditions there, he was moved to a POW camp in Ontario while the rest of his family stayed in Slocan. Devin’s grandparents remained active members of the Japanese Canadian community in Toronto for the remainder of their lives. They rarely talked about their internment experience.
Eileen herself treasures childhood memories of an old tree with its many broken branches that still stands in a field near her former Ontario home. She calls it “My Tree” and a photograph Devin took of it is mounted on a wall in her bedroom where she can see it every day.
Eileen recently read Naomi’s Tree to their five-year-old daughter Abigail, who found the story deeply moving. Afterwards, she felt worried and sad that someone could possibly take away her home.
To help resolve those feelings, Eileen thought she might work with wood from the wind-damaged branch to show Abigail and their second daughter, Mae, that they could make something beautiful out of the experience.
“Knowing that the wood came from a branch of the cherry tree at Joy Kogawa’s childhood home, coupled with the knowledge of Devin’s similar Japanese Canadian family history, makes working with this wood so much more meaningful. I am grateful and excited to be a part of this project.”
Although still brainstorming ideas, Eileen plans to make a platter that honours their resilience.
Find more of Eileen Kiyonaga’s work at eileenkiyonaga.com.
Click on the Gallery to see some of Eileen’s work.
Discover More About Historic Joy Kogawa House
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