"Nikkei: Pittsburgh Voices" Group Exhibition Statement:
Nikkei: Pittsburgh Voices is a multidisciplinary group exhibition featuring the work of seven Japanese and Japanese American artists living and creating throughout the Pittsburgh region: Shohei Katayama, Hiromi Katayama, Brent Nakamoto, Eriko Hattori, Loring Taoka, Reiko Yamamoto, and Yoko Watanabe.The word Nikkei (日系) refers to Japanese emigrants and their descendants around the world. Derived from the Japanese words Nihon or Nippon, meaning “Japan,” and kei, meaning “lineage” or “connection,” the term signifies Japanese heritage while also reflecting the evolving relationships between culture, migration, memory, and identity across generations and geographies.Through ceramics, sculpture, painting, origami, digital media, mixed media, and installation, the artists in this exhibition explore personal narratives and shared cultural experiences shaped by Japanese and Japanese American traditions. While each artist brings a distinct perspective and artistic practice, together their works reveal the many ways heritage informs creativity, storytelling, and self-expression.Rooted in Pittsburgh yet connected to a broader global Japanese diaspora, Nikkei: Pittsburgh Voices celebrates the richness of cultural identity, the importance of representation, and the enduring connections between past and present. The exhibition invites viewers to reflect on how culture is carried forward through art, family, memory, community, and the act of making itself.