Introduction
Screenprinted poster art was an integral part of the Asian American Movement. As a medium, it was almost synonymous with political expression, with “political” being broadly defined.
It brought together artists of different mediums, such as photography, drawing, and graphic design. The final production process itself required teamwork and collective action. Screenprinting was affordable and accessible to both experienced and emerging artists. It brought people together and was embraced by the communities in which the artists and workshops were based.
The artwork drew inspiration from many sources – from the cultures we inherited from our respective motherlands and from the direct experience of our community elders in the U. S. We drew freely from each other’s cultures within the Asian communities and from without. Chicano/Latino artists were a major influence and inspiration.
Anti-war, Civil Rights, Black Liberation and women’s struggles informed much of our politics. While there was always lively debate reflecting different social perspectives, there was a pervasive sense of cultural democracy and Third World, working class solidarity.
During this period the San Francisco Bay Area had three screenprinting workshops where the bulk of these posters were printed: Kearny Street Workshop (KSW), Japantown Art & Media Workshop (JAM Wksp) and the Community Asian Art & Media Project (CAAMP). KSW and JAM Wksp were located in San Francisco’s Chinatown-Manilatown and Japantown, respectively. CAAMP, an offshoot of JAM Wksp, was based in Oakland Chinatown.
This exhibit does not claim to project a comprehensive or definitive narrative of the Asian American Movement. The small sampling of posters is only meant to give a glimpse into the issues of the times and how artists gave voice to them.
This exhibit does not claim to project a comprehensive or definitive narrative of the Asian American Movement. The small sampling of posters is only meant to give a glimpse into the issues of the times and how artists gave voice to them. Representation of some important events is notably absent. For practical reasons we limited the scope of this modest exhibit to silkscreened posters from the San Francisco Bay Area, but a couple of exceptions were made to show the range of topics that Asian American artists addressed.* Acquisition has been difficult because many of the posters were not widely seen as collector items in their time and have presumably been lost. As the exhibit moves online, it will expand and diversify over time, with input from many of the artists themselves. — Leon Sun | April, 2015
* Lewis Suzuki’s and David Monkawa’s posters were offset printed. David Monkawa is a Los Angeles artist.
No More Hiroshimas, No More War (1963) by Lewis SuzukiKearny Street Workshop
No More Hiroshimas, No More War
Lewis Suzuki, 1963 (poster image courtesy of Lincoln Cushing/Docs Populi)
Year of the Tiger (1973) by Jim DongKearny Street Workshop
Year of the Tiger
Jim Dong, 1972 (digital print image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Tai Chi on the Rooftop (1973) by Jim DongKearny Street Workshop
Tai Chi on the Rooftop
Jim Dong, 1972 (digital print image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Looking Back at Gallileo High School (1974) by Leland WongKearny Street Workshop
Looking Back at Gallileo High School
Leland Wong, 1974 (digital poster image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Asian American Indochina Summer (1974) by unknownKearny Street Workshop
Asian American Indochina Summer
Artist unknown, date unknown (courtesy of Pam Tau Lee)
Committee Against Nihonmachi Evictions (1977) by J-town CollectiveKearny Street Workshop
Committee Against Nihonmachi Evictions
J-town Collective, with the Committee Against Nihonmachi Evictions, 1977 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
The Masses are the Makers of History (1974) by unknownKearny Street Workshop
The Masses are the Makers of History
Artist unknown, 1974 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Unity (1980) by Leon SunKearny Street Workshop
Unity
Leon Sun, 1980 (courtesy of the artist)
Komix (1980) by Ed BadajosKearny Street Workshop
Komix
Ed Badajos, date unknown (poster image courtesy of Lincoln Cushing/Docs Populi)
Song for Nisei Fisherman (1980) by Chester YoshidaKearny Street Workshop
Song for Nisei Fisherman
Chester Yoshida, 1980 (courtesy of Leon Sun/Community Asian Art & Media Project archives)
Pre-War Produce Market (1980) by Rich TokeshiKearny Street Workshop
Pre-War Produce Market
Rich Tokeshi, 1977 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
A Thousand Cranes (1980) by Leland WongKearny Street Workshop
A Thousand Cranes
Leland Wong, 1980 (digital poster image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Paper Angels (1981) by Leland WongKearny Street Workshop
Paper Angels
Leland Wong, 1980 (digital poster image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Issei Women (1982) by Gail ArataniKearny Street Workshop
Issei Women
Gail Aratani, 1981 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Justice for Vincent Chin (1982) by Stephanie LoweKearny Street Workshop
Justice for Vincent Chin
Stephanie Lowe, 1982 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Asian American Jazz Festival 1982 (1982) by Zand GeeKearny Street Workshop
Asian American Jazz Festival 1982
Zand Gee, 1982 (courtesy of the artist)
A Future for Our Children (1985) by Nancy HomKearny Street Workshop
A Future for Our Children
Nancy Hom, 1985 (digital print image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
Celebration of the Spirit (1985) by Nancy HomKearny Street Workshop
Celebration of the Spirit
Nancy Hom, 1985 (digital print image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
6th Asian American Jazz Festival (1982) by Zand GeeKearny Street Workshop
6th Asian American Jazz Festival
Zand Gee, 1982 (courtesy of the artist)
She Sews in a Sweatshop (1980) by Stephanie LoweKearny Street Workshop
She Sews in a Sweatshop
Stephanie Lowe, 1980 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Progressions (1992) by Wes SenzakiKearny Street Workshop
Progressions
Wes Senzaki, 1992 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Botong, Weaver of Dreams (1992) by Carlos V. FranciscoKearny Street Workshop
Botong, Weaver of Dreams
Carlos V. Francisco, 1992 (poster image courtesy of Lincoln Cushing/Docs Populi)
Remembering Malcolm (1992) by Leon SunKearny Street Workshop
Remembering Malcolm
Leon Sun, 1992 (courtesy of the artist)
Tule Lake Pilgrimage (1994) by Rich TokeshiKearny Street Workshop
Tule Lake Pilgrimage
Rich Tokeshi, 1994 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
No More Violence Against Asians (1996) by Nancy HomKearny Street Workshop
No More Violence Against Asians
Nancy Hom, 1996 (digital poster image courtesy of Choppy Oshiro)
A Grain of Sand (1997) by Leland WongKearny Street Workshop
A Grain of Sand
Leland Wong, 1997 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Personal Justice Denied The Legacy Continues (1998) by Rich TokeshiKearny Street Workshop
Personal Justice Denied The Legacy Continues
Rich Tokeshi, 1998 (courtesy of Japantown Art & Media Workshop archives/National Japanese American Historical Society)
Now and Forever (2005) by Leon SunKearny Street Workshop
Now and Forever
Leon Sun, 2005 (courtesy of the artist)
Starfish (2014) by KaYan CheungKearny Street Workshop
Starfish
KaYan Cheung, 2014 (courtesy of the artist)
Don't Flip Youth (2014) by Youth MOJO screenprinting workshopKearny Street Workshop
Don't Flip Youth
Youth MOJO screenprinting workshop / Chinese Progressive Association, 2014 (courtesy of Chinese Progressive Association)
Curated by Leon Sun
Artists: Lewis Suzuki, Jim Dong, Leland Wong, J-town Collective, Leon Sun, Ed Badajos, Chester Yoshida, Rich Tokeshi, Gail Aratani, Stephanie Lowe, Zand Gee Nancy Hom, Wes Senzaki, Carlos V. Francisco, Rich Tokeshi, KaYan Cheung, Youth MOJO screenprinting workshop
