Hi my name is Taiko Chandler. I live and work in Denver, and have been here for 10 years.
My primary art medium is printmaking, but recently I have begun to explore other media. I am particularly interested in site-specific installations and other forms of 3-dimensional work.
I started working on the print you are looking at a couple of days before the start of the COVID lockdown last March.
I was initially planning to use only a couple of layers, but the lockdown stopped me from going back to the print room to finish the piece.
Without access to an etching press, I started working at home, but making prints immediately became a struggle.
As such, I put this half-finished piece aside, before eventually exploring prints I could make by hand at home (using a spoon to transfer the image to the paper).
One day, I decided to continue working on this print and soon realized how I wanted to finish it.
In general, the lockdown felt as though it slowed down life, forcing me to pay more attention to things that might otherwise have passed me by.
As society adapted, we seemed to revert to core behaviors, revealing what is often hidden. Much of that was needed and important, although it was also difficult to watch and experience.
At the time, I found it overwhelming to process the public protests that occurred, particularly in support of racial equality.
But, looking back, I can see how they challenged me to reflect on my identity and what it means to me to be a Japanese woman living in the U.S.
Although it may not be apparent when you look at it, this print reminds me of the journey we have all been on during this pandemic and how, through everything, we have emerged stronger together.