Skip to content

Roger Shimomura at Greg Kucera Gallery

Roger Shimomura’s paintings hit racist assumptions head-on

By Seattle Mag August 28, 2013

0913shimomura

This article originally appeared in the September 2013 issue of Seattle magazine.

Born and raised in Seattle, Roger Shimomura has been living in the Midwest for the last 40 years, but says he is still regularly asked what part of Japan he’s from and how long he’s been in the U.S. Frustrated by the presumption that he’s not American, he created this new series of paintings, American Knockoff, in which he portrays himself as battling both American icons (Mickey Mouse) and Japanese stereotypes (shown here) while using Japanese fighting styles (karate, sumo wrestling and a samurai sword). Shimomura has made a career of exposing anti-Japanese racism—both historic and contemporary—in his work. Using a comic, Pop Art style, he’s painted himself as a squinty-eyed, bucktoothed caricature, such as those used in World War I propaganda; as a “Chinese imposter” (in response to people who mistake his heritage); as a Hello Kitty figure; and as a kimono-clad warrior. The cartoony aspect of these bright, bold, acrylic paintings belies his serious commentary about the racism—overt and subtle—that continues to flourish. Through 9/28. Free. Times vary. Greg Kucera Gallery, 212 Third Ave. S; 206.624.0770; gregkucera.com 

 

Follow Us

Rearview Mirror: An Oyster Party, Money for Art, and Mac & Cheese at 30,000 Feet 

Rearview Mirror: An Oyster Party, Money for Art, and Mac & Cheese at 30,000 Feet 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

We Partied for Art I love a party, and I love art, so when the Henry Art Gallery invited me to its annual fundraising gala, it was paddle’s up from the get-go. Held on the floor of Pioneer Square’s Railspur building in a space managed by Rally, Angela Dunleavy’s latest venture (read all about it…

Urban Grit Meets Wild Beauty: Inside Seattle Art Museum’s Beyond Mysticism
Sponsored

Urban Grit Meets Wild Beauty: Inside Seattle Art Museum’s Beyond Mysticism

Seattle’s history is rooted in its fascinating juxtaposition of industry and nature, inspired by the region’s dramatic landscapes and rapidly changing cityscape. Seattle Art Museum’s current exhibition, Beyond Mysticism: The Modern Northwest, invites you to meet the artists who captured that tension and transformed it into a bold new vision of Modernism. Modernism, Made in…

Our March/April Issue Has Arrived!

Our March/April Issue Has Arrived!

Inside you’ll find Best Places to Live, a packed spring arts guide, and more stories from across the region.

The future’s bright, and so is the cover of Seattle magazine’s March/April issue! Featuring a mural by local artist (and 2023 Most Influential pick) Stevie Shao, the colorful cover is a snap from Woodinville, one of the six “Best Places to Live” featured inside. While we usually focus on Seattle neighborhoods, this year we expanded…

Supporting Roles

Supporting Roles

Three women in the Northwest are helping local artists through newly launched residencies outside of Seattle. Here, we take a look inside these thoughtfully designed spaces, and learn what drove their founders to become cornerstones in the creative community.

Iolair Artist Residency Eastsound, WA Years ago, after studying photography and earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts at the University of Washington, Pacific Northwest native Linda Lewis realized that she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life behind a camera. “The minute I graduated from school, I was far more inspired by the…