Roger Shimomura's parents lived and died without ever leaving the United States, and yet Mr. Shimomura keeps encountering people who ask what part of Japan he's from.
It is that sense of foreignness, of being regarded as "other" that fuels the Kansas-based painter's work.
Utilizing elements of pop art, traditional Japanese woodcut design and advertising imagery, Mr. Shimomura explores ideas of stereotype, racism and injustice. He said he understands that, thematically, his work can be a tough sell, and he uses a light, bright aesthetic to trap and entice.
"There is a strategy at work," he said in a recent telephone interview. "A lot of the issues I work with are things that people would rather not talk about. So this is a way of getting my message across. It's a way of showing people one thing while feeding them something else."
An exhibit of his works, Three Suites on the Internment of Roger Shimomura, are on display Friday through March 17 at the Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St. A reception and gallery talk begin at 6 p.m. Friday.
Sometimes his graphic style and decorative aesthetic aren't enough. He said he has had potential buyers inquire about altering paintings, removing barbed wire from a series based on his grandmother's internment-camp diaries. Not surprisingly, he refuses all such offers. He said that as happy as an enthusiastic response makes him, his paintings also must bring him a personal sense of satisfaction. He said the response to images is often quite wide, with some communities embracing his works while others find it more difficult.
"To feel as though I have completed the creative cycle I have to be at peace with myself," he explained. "I really have to gauge the success of a show, because of the way a given community may respond, by whether or not I'm happy with it first."
Although often praised for his flair for the graphic, for the bold line and bright color, Mr. Shimomura said he is a political painter first. He sees his work as conversational conduit, a way to get people thinking and talking about the issues he's lived with.
"You have to realize that the time for these issues to be part of the American mainstream hasn't arrived," he said. "It's still chapters in books. But at least now people are talking about it. That wasn't the case 25 years ago."
Reach Steven Uhles at (706) 823-3626 or steven.uhles@augustachronicle.com.
Gallery crawl
WHAT: Three Suites on the Internment of Roger Shimomura
WHEN: Friday-March 17. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday-Friday, by appointment Saturdays. Reception and gallery talk 6-8 p.m. Friday
WHERE: The Gertrude Herbert Institute of Art, 506 Telfair St.
COST: Reception and gallery talk free for Gertrude Herbert members, $5 nonmembers; gallery admission freeinformation: For more on the artist, see www.rshim.com; for more on the institute, see ghia.org or call (706) 722-5495
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