Roger ShimomuraNight Watch – Minidoka (Social Commentary, Modern, Japanese American History), 2014
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Night Watch – Minidoka (Social Commentary, Modern, Japanese American History)
By Roger Shimomura
Located in Kansas City, MO
Roger Shimomura Night Watch – Minidoka Original 11 Color Lithograph on Rives BFK, White Year: 2014 Edition: 51 of 52 Paper Size: 30.75 × 40.5 inches (78.11 × 102.87 cm) Image Size: 27.75 × 38 inches (70.49 × 96.52 cm) Signed, dated, titled and numbered in pencil along lower margin Printer's Chop lower right Gallery-issued COA provided Print Sheet provided upon request Condition: Mint *Could come framed. Please inquire. Night Watch – Minidoka is a poignant work by Roger Shimomura that reflects his ongoing engagement with themes of identity, memory, and the Japanese American incarceration during World War II. Drawing from his own childhood experience—having been interned with his family at the Minidoka War Relocation Center in Idaho—Shimomura transforms historical trauma into a visually striking and psychologically resonant composition. The artist’s statement—“The grey and brown colors of Camp Minidoka by day turn into a lively theatre of lights at night as the incarcerates complete another day in isolation from the rest of the country.”—captures the duality at the heart of the work. While the daytime environment is marked by monotony and confinement, the nighttime scene introduces a sense of artificial vitality, where illuminated barracks create a theatrical, almost surreal atmosphere. This contrast underscores both the resilience of those incarcerated and the unsettling normalization of confinement. Stylistically, Shimomura blends elements of American Pop Art with traditional Japanese visual strategies, creating a hybrid aesthetic that is both accessible and layered with meaning. His use of bold outlines, flattened perspective, and narrative sequencing enhances the work’s immediacy while reinforcing its historical and cultural significance. Night Watch – Minidoka functions as both a personal recollection and a broader commentary on civil liberties, exclusion, and national identity. It stands as part of Shimomura’s sustained effort to confront overlooked histories and to ensure their continued relevance in contemporary discourse. Night Watch Minidoka, Japanese American internment art, Minidoka camp art...
2010s Modern Roger Shimomura Art
Lithograph
