Letters from Nowhere
1940s / 2016—2022
Drawing, old postcard
Each: 15 × 10 cm
Exhibition at the Museum of Asian Art, Berlin
After his death in 2014, the artist found picture postcards that her grandfather had sent to his family in Japan in the 1940s. At that time, he was stationed in China as a soldier of the Empire of Japan (1868–1945).
On the front of the postcards, he writes about everyday, harmless topics, presumably to satisfy the censors. The backs feature idyllic portrayals of China or peaceful Japanese soldiers. Together, the two sides tell a story far removed from the brutal reality of the war.
She wrapped each postcard in translucent paper and delicately traced his words and the images of the war artists, attempting to retrace history. The audience only sees her traces; the postcards themselves are barely visible.
Other Works on Asien History
Exhibition at the Museum of Asian Art, Berlin
Letters from Nowhere
1940s / 2016—2022
Drawing, old postcard
Each: 15 × 10 cm
After his death in 2014, the artist found picture postcards that her grandfather had sent to his family in Japan in the 1940s. At that time, he was stationed in China as a soldier of the Empire of Japan (1868–1945).
On the front of the postcards, he writes about everyday, harmless topics, presumably to satisfy the censors. The backs feature idyllic portrayals of China or peaceful Japanese soldiers. Together, the two sides tell a story far removed from the brutal reality of the war.
She wrapped each postcard in translucent paper and delicately traced his words and the images of the war artists, attempting to retrace history. The audience only sees her traces; the postcards themselves are barely visible.