U.S.-Japan Creative Artists Fellowship Program
US-Japan Creative Artist Biographies

2001 Artists

Installation Artist, Performance Artist

James Luna December, 2001-May, 2002

James is an artist working in the mediums of installation and performance. Drawing on his own rich cultural heritage as a Native American, he spent time in Japan experiencing the culture and its relationship toward nature and traditional ceremonial rites and spiritual sites, contemporary art and national treasures.He and Singaporean born performance artists Lee Wen did a collaboration performance and video piece, Alter Native.

Poet

Brenda Ann Shaughnessy November, 2001 - April, 2002

Brenda, a poet, will be working to discover her roots as an Okinawan-American. Dividing her time between major urban centers and the Okinawan islands, she will research the history and religion of Okinawa, explore the differences of the cultures and attempt to nurture a subjective awareness of her personal background in order to better inform her poetry.

Writer

Rhana Reiko Rizutto June - December, 2001

Rhana, a writer, is living in Hiroshima to conduct research about life in that city during World War II and the occupation. Her research has taken her to various institutions and groups around the city and country, including the Peace Museum and Hiroshima City University. She has conducted interviews with people about their memories of the war time and met writers and artists whose work has been inspired by the war. She also kept herself busy studying Aikido, which she has continued after returning to the US.

Poet

Henri Cole April - September, 2001

As a poet, Henri (who was born in Japan) resided in Kyoto to absorb all he could from the people, landscape and its culture, while working on his fifth volume of poetry, “Middle Earth.”

Photographer/Painter

Richard Hawkins February - August, 2001

Richard is a photographer/painter researching the photographic works left by Tamotsu Yato, one of the first photographers to capture the beauty of the Japanese male in traditional yet erotic settings. He is working on making this body of work, which has lain dormant for the last 25 years, publicly accessible through the Internet and published medium.

US-Japan Creative Artist BiographiesUS-Japan Creative Artist Biographies