Walking on Shells

A young child walks through the camp where she lives, built on the site of a dry lakebed sprinkled with small shells. Growing up she doesn’t have any distinct memories her young life in the camp. But going back for a pilgrimage, more than 60 years later, the sound of the shells crunching under her feet sparks an unexpected wave of emotion that overwhelms her and she is that child again. 

As a descendant of Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II in American concentration camps, I am both haunted and inspired by this history and the many family stories that I will never know. My two works in this exhibition, “Walking on Shells” and “Shadow of Resilience #1” reflect on my family’s and thousands of others’ tremendous loss and grief, but also on their resilience. From the dry lake bed where the Tule Lake camp was constructed, incarcerees collected tiny shells and crafted them into jewelry and other objects of beauty. I have inherited some of these mementos. For me they are evidence of my family’s resilience and has inspired this series of artwork. 

Through my artwork and related conversations, I hope to spread awareness of past injustices. By sharing my personal story, I want to encourage empathy for those suffering from parallel issues of fear and racism today. While I am able to do this work with joy, freedom and agency that my ancestors did not enjoy, I have a responsibility to tell these stories.

Biography

Shari Arai DeBoer is a visual artist working in printmaking, watercolor and book arts. After working as an architect, Shari shifted her focus to visual art. In her art practice she examines wonders of the natural world, the minutiae of everyday life, and her own family stories in the context of larger social and historical issues. Shari is a sansei, a third generation Japanese American. She is active in local organizations that use art to build community and give voice to Asian Pacific American perspectives.

Shari’s paintings and etchings are housed in the Alameda County Art Collection and Library of Congress Fine Print Collection. In 2018 she was awarded an artist residency at the Playa, a center for art and science in Oregon and was an artist-in-residence at the de Young Museum with the Asian American Women Artists Association.