“American Bon Odori: Dancing in Joy and Remembrance” Exhibit Panels
The four panels (34" x 85") trace the history of the Japanese Obon festival (which honors the ancestral spirits in Japan); the key figures in the rise of the event in America; the festival during and post-WWII; and modern day celebrations.
The red pattern at the bottom references the traditional design of the yagura, the raised platform where drummers perform, and around which people dance. Lanterns are hung to guide the spirits, and light up as the festival goes on into the night.
Below: the finished panels, created as a traveling display for the 2019 World Buddhist Women‘s Conference in San Francisco. Photography: Wynn Kiyama
