A Study #1

Hibi, Hisako [ bio ]

Description

Framed, stretched canvas. Portrait of an old man with grey hair, red shirt.

Inscription
Signed in caps, LR: Hisako Hibi June (date unreadable), verso: inscribed BRC "Study" label.

History
This painting is one of the only known works of its kind done by Hisako Hibi while at Topaz concentration camp. Hibi did not often paint figures in such great detail. People appear in her paintings diminished in size and lacking specificity. Here the sense is that this is a unique individual, given the details of his face. Hibi portrays this man at a slight angle from the chest up. It is significant that Hibi insists on including a view of the camp barracks in the background of this figure. Thus, the context of camp frames this man's portrait.

All requests for permission to publish, reproduce, or quote from materials in this collection must be submitted to the Hirasaki National Resource Center at the Japanese American National Museum (hnrc@janm.org).