Ben Sakoguchi's 'Chinatown' and Orange Crate Paintings Confront Anti-Asian History at Bel Ami
Ben Sakoguchi's latest exhibit, titled 'Chinatown,' is currently on display at Bel Ami in Los Angeles. It features his long-running Orange Crate Labels series, which he started around 1975, alongside a significant 15-panel painting. Each piece in the series follows a specific format, measuring 25-by-28 cm, and includes a title, the terms 'brand,' 'California,' 'oranges,' a location from California, and a visual representation of an orange. This concept draws inspiration from crate labels used in his family's grocery store in San Bernardino, established after their internment during World War II. The exhibit also addresses social issues, with works like Footloose Brand (1995) and Conflict Diamonds Brand (2002), and the centerpiece, Chinatown (2014), honors the tragic 1871 Chinese Massacre. The show was open from March 6 to May 15.
Key facts
- Ben Sakoguchi's exhibition 'Chinatown' was held at Bel Ami in Los Angeles from March 6 to May 15.
- The show features his Orange Crate Labels series, begun around 1975, with 27 works on display.
- Each Orange Crate painting is 25-by-28 cm and includes specific elements: a title, 'brand', 'California', 'oranges', a California location, and a visual orange.
- Sakoguchi's family ran a grocery store in San Bernardino after being released from the Poston Internment Camp in Arizona, where they were incarcerated during World War II.
- Over 17,000 Japanese and Japanese-American people were held at Poston.
- Paintings like Footloose Brand (1995) and East is East Brand (2001) critique anti-Asian sentiment and beauty standards.
- Chinatown (2014) is a 15-panel painting depicting the 1871 Chinese Massacre in Los Angeles, where 18 Chinese men and boys were lynched.
- Bel Ami is located in New Chinatown, north of the Old Chinatown massacre site, now occupied by Union Station.
Entities
Artists
- Ben Sakoguchi
Institutions
- Bel Ami
- Poston Internment Camp
- Revolutionary United Front
Locations
- Los Angeles
- United States
- San Bernardino
- California
- Arizona
- Sierra Leone
- Old Chinatown
- New Chinatown
- Union Station