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The Redwood City Improvement Association, in partnership with Fung Collaboratives, has unveiled a new public art installation at the Art Kiosk in downtown Redwood City. Titled Kiku no hana (Japanese for “Chrysanthemum”), the installation is the work of Oakland-based visual artist Lisa Solomon, with curation by Jennifer Easton.
The exhibit will be on display through Sept. 15.
The installation explores the historical impact of Executive Order 9066, which led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II, on chrysanthemum-growing farms operated by Japanese American families in the Peninsula.
Drawing from archives provided by the San Mateo County Historical Association, Solomon’s work honors the Japanese American farmers who had established successful businesses before their lives were upended by the wartime order.
“Kiku no hana” serves as both a tribute and a reminder of the challenges faced by these communities. The chrysanthemum is the official Japanese Royal Family symbol and represents a vital cultural and economic connection for Japanese immigrants and their descendants. Even after their return from internment, many Japanese Americans continued to cultivate chrysanthemums, seeing the flower as a symbol of resilience and resistance against cultural erasure.
Lisa Solomon, who identifies as Hapa (half Japanese and half Caucasian), has infused the installation with personal significance. Her mixed media works reflect her fascination with hybridization and her exploration of heritage, domesticity, and feminism. Solomon’s artistic approach often intersects with scientific inquiry, and this installation is no exception, as it delves deeply into the historical and cultural significance of the chrysanthemum in Japanese American life.
The installation, located at the Art Kiosk at 2208 Broadway St. in front of Courthouse Square, offers visitors an opportunity to engage with a piece of local history that resonates with broader themes of resilience, identity, and the ongoing impact of historical injustices.
