installation

 
Odyssey: Reflect began with a suitcase of photos from a Japanese-American family in Lahaina, Maui, given to me by Thomas Hardy. Over a decade, it grew from photo transfers to installations. In 2025, it returned home in exhibitions at the Maui Arts & Cultural Center and University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, honoring Lahaina’s resilience.Click on the images to explore More


photographic transfer Prints 2013-

Odyssey : Reflect, Archive photographs, Transferred Manually on to printed textiles, 27 x 35 cm, 35 x 120 cm, 81x 92 cm, 81 x 160 cm,
81 x 190 cm, 2013-2015,, Unique piece, In private and public collections.
The photographic transfer prints are created through a manual process, where images are transferred onto printed fabrics that represent environments—psychologically, physically, and symbolically. These fabrics reflect the cultural and historical contexts of the subjects, creating a dialogue between the images and materials. Hawai'i's immigration history, shaped by the blending of European and Asian influences, is represented through how Japanese immigrants adapted European fabrics for work clothes and later used kimono fabrics for Aloha shirts.  the Month of Photography in Paris.


Porcelain transfer

A-lien Pacific

Photo : Andrew Matthews 2018, Transferred archive photographs from Lahaina, Maui , Hawai'i onto porcelain series " pacific " Royal Doulton. size : 16/23 cm, transferred and fired by V-ceramics ( Montreuil, Paris)

Royal Doulton, a British porcelain manufacturer, created the "Pacific" series, which my partner gifted me. Inspired by Japanese aesthetics, it reminded me of the Pacific Ocean's comforting presence in my childhood. I've always dreamed of creating works that blend Pacific and Japanese-American history, using porcelain to symbolize strength and fragility, reflecting immigration in our world.

A-lien?

In 2017, an interview with Karen Tei Yamashita, where she spoke about her connection to "aliens," resonated with me. After WWII, Japanese-Americans were labeled "Enemy Aliens." I became fascinated by the word "Alien," especially when broken into "A-lien," meaning "to link" in French. This duality reflects how cultures evolve through foreign influences, with migrants shaping everything from food to daily objects.


Artist book


The Odyssey: Reflect artist book (English edition) is housed in a Danish-oiled box lined with washi paper. The Japanese-bound book features a Kirigami-inspired textile cover, risography inner cover, and black-and-white photos on thick white paper. A wooden USB key holds sound pieces by Andrew Matthews, based on Maui interviews, inviting readers to listen while turning the pages. A 1950s-style envelope inside contains surprises, and the box is wrapped in a custom bag made from silkscreened textiles symbolizing immigrant environments. Future editions will include research, transcripts, and documents.The English edition is sold out.

Odyssey : Reflect : French edition, 67 pages, October 2014. Edition : 10 ( plus 2 Artist proof) dimensions book : 30 x 21.5 cm x 1.7 cm sold out


Collage

Post-script

Picture
Post- script, In situ collage : 10 m x 3.5 m. Installation : Claude Vaissier & Miki Nitadori with Vincent Debanne and Kai Nitadori. Sound Creation by Miki Nitadori & Anton Mobin, Exposition / parcours sonore UNE JOURNEE DE COINCIDENCES, Plateforme, Passage Dieu, Paris, June 2014

In 2013, I created Post-script while developing Odyssey, layering archival group photographs from Odyssey: Reflect to explore generational ties. One image was later included in the installation. In 2014, as a Plateforme member, I exhibited at Passage Dieu in Paris for UNE JOURNÉE DE COÏNCIDENCES, pairing group photographs—one from a funeral, the other from a baseball team celebration. The piece was vandalized—initially shocking, but later seen as a response from uneasy neighbors. A colleague documented it.


Pamphlet

A-lien cuisine


A-lien Cuisine highlights how food connects us, sharing love, memories, and companionship beyond survival. Cooking and eating bring people together and evoke memories of shared meals. Eleven years ago, I created an artist book, "Eat," which contained stories about people and food, some of which are included in this pamphlet. Inspired by “Recipes to Comfort the Buddhist Soul: Puunene-Kahului Jodo Mission Centennial Celebration,” I decided to shift from focusing on recipes to sharing the experience of a simple meal with friends in this pamphlet.


Origin