​Maia Palmer

​​​Created in 2008, this series of artworks reflects the time that I spent in Hiroshima, Japan, teaching English as a Second Language.

One of the things that I noted during my time in Japan was the combination of respect for tradition and heritage, combined with an embrace of the new and modern. This can be seen in the architecture as well as the fashion in Japan. Many of the paintings, such as the young drummer girl wearing velcro shoes, or my Japanese sensei in her kimono - replete with her keitai (cellphone) tucked into her obi (belt) embrace this dichotomy.

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I was also deeply saddened by the tragedy that is still present on a daily basis in Hiroshima. I keenly felt this pain as an American, and I created a series of works to honor this pain. These works include a portrait of the Atomic Bomb Dome with grid lines behind it, speaking to the cold calculation with which the bombs were planned and executed. I also focused on the "peace crane." The legend of the origami crane states that if you fold 1,000 cranes, your wish will come true. However, after the death of Sadako, a young girl who folded cranes on her deathbed in the aftermath of the bombing, the crane has become synonymous with a wish for peace. The sakura, or cherry blossom, is often included with my imagery of the crane as it denotes the fragility and transient beauty of life.

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Ultimately, these works are bits and pieces of color and pattern that make up my memory of Japan.