Emma Jane Chiyoko Oshiro

Champurū is the culmination of years of research on the Ryukyuan people—an Indigenous group originating from what is now known as Okinawa, Japan—encompassing my family history as well as Okinawan culture. The resulting images reflect on Okinawa’s history and its modern-day consequences. This project attests to the circular movement of pride, hope, and honor passed down through generations: the idea that time and death cannot obstruct the love Okinawans of the past, present, and future have for each other, though most of us will never meet. The final form of the project is a photobook, accompanied by a hanging tapestry.

Emma Oshiro is an Okinawan photographer and archivist from Honolulu, Hawai’i. Her work is described as tender, quiet, and “like an old record on a sunny afternoon.”