While pursuing a Masters in Fine Arts, I attained 8mm footage my grandfather (George) had taken of his semi-secret Japanese golf club in Detroit called, "The Cardinal Club". My grandfather and his family relocated to Detroit after being interned during the second world war. For safety and security he became an accountant, but had dreams of going to school for filmmaking. This film became a rare, uninformative artifact that provides a small glimpse into my family history that I know very little of. This inspired me to create a score to accompany the film; collaborating with my grandfather who passed in 1998.
I wanted to create a conversation around identity, performance, and exile. I am questioning my own investigation and how that can pit in comparison to other Asian diasporas or individuals who have inherited robust narratives. How do these stories affect our sense of self? And more importantly, our ability to identify with each other?
The Cardinal Club is an exhibition highlighting ten Asian artists that are current or past MFA graduates at VCU. Living in a country where deep xenophobia towards the AAPI community is amplified, it is most important to bring attention to the vantage points of these incredible artists. More press on the exhibition can be found here.
