The Nikkei National Museum is taking part in Vancouver's Capture Photography Festival with a powerful exhibition by Canadian artist Leslie Hossack.
Registered: the Japanese Canadian Experience during World War II is an exhibition of colour photographs that examine places of power and persecution and the experiences of Japanese Canadians living in B.C. during the Second World War, when the were registered, rounded up and removed.
"The internment and discriminatory treatment of thousands of Japanese-Canadians during the war is a complex issue that remains somewhat cloaked within our national public consciousness," a press release says. "Leslie Hossack offers a fresh and insightful look at some of the physical evidence from this key historic period."
The exhibition launches on Saturday, April 11 with an opening reception running from 3 to 5 p.m.
The event includes a conversation between Hossack and the acclaimed contemporary Canadian photographer Stephen Waddell in the centre's Ellipse Lobby.
The release notes that Hossack is intrigued by recent history that is "just past" and still accessible, and she has spent time exploring iconic architecture in Berlin, Jerusalem, Moscow, Kosovo and elsewhere.
She says the subject matter of Registered was an important one to take on.
"It's a Canadian story that is not well-known," she explains.
Hossack attended the School of Photographic Arts: Ottawa and lives in Ottawa, but she will be in Vancouver for the exhibition.
She'll give a talk in conjunction with a gallery tour on Saturday, April 18, starting at 2 p.m. That event runs in conjunction with the Nikkei Centre's Celebrate Spring event.
The exhibition will be open Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is by donation.
The Nikkei National Museum is at 6688 Southoaks Cres.
In May, the museum also offers two special events connected to the exhibition: a Powell Street walking tour on May 16 and a Hastings Park walking tour on May 23.
Registered is on until June 7.
Check out centre.nikkeiplace.org/registered for more about the exhibition, and see capturephotofest.com for more on the photography festival.
