In her new series, Migration, Sayaka Suzuki explores the experience of her Japanese-American emigrant identity. Her striking assemblages feature a “patchwork of indigo blues” that mimic the Japanese embroidery tradition of Sashiko, a style of functionally reinforcing denim garments in a decorative fashion. Two-fold, these “tag pieces” also connote the tags used to mark Japanese Americans upon being rallied to enter internment camps and relocated for the duration of WWII. In this way, Migration stands as a tome to the history and hardships of immigration in the United States, as well as the bravery and tragedy experienced by those who have found themselves in this new land. Throughout her work, Sayaka “often identifies with the complex psychological journey of immigrants in search of a new ground, while their hearts bleed for their native tongue.” Migration thus exhibits a synthesis of this complex duality by sharing the injustices faced by Japanese-Americans using these tags in the Sashiko style. These “mending stitches” or “little stabs,” as is the direct translation of Sashiko, serve to reconcile these histories and resonate with the profound resilience of the Japanese-American immigrant.
Sayaka earned her BFA in Glass Sculpture and Political Science from Tulane University in 2000 and her MFA in Crafts and Material Studies in 2005. She has exhibited nationally and internationally since 2007, with group exhibitions in Portugal, Korea, Italy, China, and Japan. Her work has been acquired by numerous collections, including the Douro Museum Printmaking Biennial Collection (Portugal), Capital One Headquarters (Richmond, VA), The Studio at The Corning Museum of Glass (New York), the Pilchuck Glass School (Stanwood, WA), Erskine Glass School (Paxton, MA), and the National Liberty Museum (Philadelphia, PA).
Sayaka Suzuki
Determination of Cher Ami, 2021
Acrylic and embroidery on drywall
39 1/4 x 49 1/2 inches
$4800 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Beyond the Fence, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Destination Nowhere, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Immigration Nation: bag, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Immigration Nation: bandana, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Immigration Nation: jug, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Immigration Nation: lifejacket, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
In Solidarity, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Only What You Can Carry, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
To The Camps: 1942, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
31 x 25 inches
$1200 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Yellow Peril, 2021
Acrylic, tags on paper
25 x 31 inches
$1200 framed
Installation view of Sacrifice of Tsuru and Kame and Tamatebako.
Sayaka Suzuki
Kame and Tamatebako, 2021
Acrylic and embroidery on drywall
24 x 24 inches
$2400 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Sacrifice of Tsuru, 2021
Acrylic and embroidery on drywall
24 x 24 inches
$2400 framed
Sayaka Suzuki
Soar, 2021
Prisma color on mylar
12 x 20 inches
$750 unframed
Sayaka Suzuki
Deflated, 2021
Prisma color on mylar
16 x 11 inches
$750 unframed
Installation view of Origami Blues: Fold/Unfold: Ronin, Origami Blues: Fold/Unfold: Boat, and Origami Blues: Fold/Unfold: Coat.