風の折 (Kaze no Ori)- Similkameen series

This series was inspired during a two-week stay at the Similkameen Artist Residency, located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. I drew inspiration from the surrounding cliffs, rivers, and mountains, creating a conversation between land, ritual, and reverence. Using printmaking, origami, and natural arrangements, I explored the idea of offering- folding paper as a gesture of gratitude. This meditative process connects me to my roots and is a way of listening to the land.

As someone of Japanese and Scottish settler background, I think deeply about living on land that was unjustly stolen. The stories and legends I grew up with- much of it rooted in Japanese Shinto - differ from those rooted here, yet both recognize nature as sacred. My grandmother taught me that mountains, rivers, and trees carry spirit and that small offerings are a way to show respect for unseen forces. In Japanese, ‘Kaze’ translates to 'wind, and ‘ori’ translates to fold. The wind cuts through the valley of Keremeos strongly with a seemingly constant presence. In this light, origami becomes a quiet devotion, folding intention into form. A small offering in return for the land’s generosity and the people who have long stewarded and protected it.