ARTIST STATEMENT
Using multidisciplinary approaches, my practice explores the complex meaning of “us” and “others.” In the US, my practice explores the complexities of being an Asian struggling for US citizenship. Being the first immigrant in my family and a non-native English speaker in the U.S., my visual practice incorporates my awkward experience in this new culture. A quote by Ai Weiwei describes how I approach my practice: “If my art has nothing to do with people’s pain and sorrow, what is ‘art’ for?”
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Mami Takahashi is an artist from the Tokyo region, currently resident in Chicago IL. Using photography, performance, installation, poetry, and urban intervention, her practice explores the complexities of being an Asian woman living in the US. Previous exhibitions and performances have taken place at Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, San Francisco Art Institute, The International Museum of Art, El Paso, Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Canada, Gwangju Folk Art Museum in Korea, Instituto Municipal del Arte la Cultura in Mexico and Toriizaka Art Gallery in Tokyo, among other venues. She holds an MFA from Portland State University, and a BFA from Joshibi University of Art in Japan. Takahashi is a recipient of the Ford Family Award for MASS MoCA residency and the Pacific Northwest College of Art+Leland Iron Work residency.
© Mami Takahashi