Kevin Miyazaki, a Milwaukee-based photographer, graphic designer, and educator, met with University School of Milwaukee students on Tuesday, Oct. 31. During his visit, he spoke to Upper School students in Haiyun Lu’s Chinese: Intermediate 1-2 class, as well as students in Jessica Michels’ Photography 1 and AP Photography classes. He also gave a presentation to the entire Upper School during community time.
Miyazaki spoke about his family’s history and experience with the forced evacuation and detention of Japanese-American citizens following the attack on Pearl Harbor. With his artwork, he explores themes of family history and identity through lenses of place and memory.
“We all have a family history that may or may not be known or accessible to you,” said Miyazaki. “But unique to this country, and in the melting pot that exists here, is the idea that my history should be your history, and your history should my history. They are all shared American stories, as we all live and participate in this society.”
About Kevin Miyazaki
Kevin Miyazaki is a photographer and artist living in Milwaukee. Assignments for food and travel publications have taken him to 22 countries and 30 American states. His artwork addresses issues of identity, ethnicity, and place, often focusing on the history of Japanese Americans in this country. Locally, Miyazaki has exhibited work at the Haggerty Museum of Art, the Museum of Wisconsin Art, the Jewish Museum Milwaukee, and the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art. He is currently working on his first public art commission, which will be on view in the spring of 2024.
Many thanks to Haiyun Lu, Upper School Chinese teacher, for her work to bring Miyazaki to campus.
- Arts
- Diversity and Inclusion