Miya HANNAN

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Miya HANNAN

Participating Project	Research Residency Program
Activity Based	Reno, Nevada (USA)
City / Place stayed	Tokyo
Period	2024.5 - 2024.7

Purpose of the residency

My current art project is based on the hidden history of Japanese Northern Pacific Railway workers who moved to the Intermountain West in the late nineteenth century and now lie buried in the Missoula City Cemetery. Little is known of them except for their names and birthplaces. During the program at TOKAS, I will be conducting deep research and writing an essay on the history and writing an essay. Even though my artwork will be abstract, it is important for me to know the historical background of these workers.

Plan during the residency

• Research on the background history around the railroad workers at the National Diet Library in Tokyo
• Visiting the Immigration Center in Yokohama and Kobe to gather information
• Meeting with historians who have both written about the history of Japanese migrants to the US
• Writing an essay with information on the subject
• Planning an art installation

Activities during the residency

I conducted research, developed concepts, and experimented with materials for my next large-scale paintings, which focuses on Japan’s postwar period. I encountered the 1964 musical film You Can Succeed, Too at the National Film Archive of Japan. This film served as a clue for me to start working on my piece, Dancing Salarymen. Additionally, I studied postwar philosophers, mainly Shunsuke Tsurumi, and deepened my understanding of the social and political background of this time. From this research, I planned another project named “Thinkers Mandala.” Both of these projects use washi paper as the primary medium, which I chose after encountering Moriki Paper, a washi wholesale company near TOKAS.

Outcome of the residency

The residency was productive for me. I was able to gather more information than I expected at the National Diet Library. Finding diaries and notes by immigrants at the time was especially fantastic, and they inspired me to plan my future artwork. Another achievement was that I was able to find the hometowns of the immigrants I was tracing. This led me to visit the towns to collect soil samples, also for my future artwork. Dealing with history for art practice is a sensitive matter. The information and materials I obtained this time provided me enough confidence to deal with this particular history and much inspiration to start creating artwork after the residency.
In addition, thanks to staff members at TOKAS, I was able to make some valuable connections that might lead me to future opportunities. I was introduced to several people related to immigrant institutions and another residency. I was also able to meet them during and after the residency. This introduction also brought me other relationships that might be good for my future practice.
As a large-scale installation artist, spending a solid amount of time on research and preparation for future works was a good idea, and I would not have done anything differently.

Creator Information