Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz explained

Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz (born 1933) is an American artist and art educator; her paintings depict her memories of a childhood during the Japanese American internment.

Early life and education

Chizuko Judy Sugita was born in Orange, California, the youngest of nine children; her mother died from complications soon after Chizuko's birth. Her Hiroshima-born father owned a nursery.[1] In 1942, her family was sent to Poston War Relocation Center in Arizona, as part of the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II.[2] They were released from Poston when Chizuko was twelve. After the war, she returned to Southern California with her father, and settled in Huntington Beach.[3]

Chizuko Judy Sugita earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from California State University, Dominguez Hills.[4] In 1953, she was chosen as Nisei Week Queen.[5] [6]

Career

Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz worked as an art teacher at Palos Verdes High School, and served as chair of the school's art department.[7] After early retirement following a workplace injury, she turned to watercolor painting full-time, and took up her childhood memories of camp life as her theme.[8] [9] Her illustrated memoir, Camp Days, 1942-1945, was published in 2004, with an introduction by George Takei.[10]

An exhibit of her watercolors about her childhood in Poston, "Camp Days, 1942-1945," was first shown at the Palos Verdes Art Center near her home, in 2009.[11] It has since appeared at the Japanese American Museum of San Jose (in 2010-11).[12] [13] She lectures on her life and work, saying "This is what I wanted to leave for my grandchildren, I wanted them to know what their parents and family went through."[14]

Her paintings in the exhibit are mostly of one of two styles: a representational style, or an abstract style with impressionistic abstracts.[15] "Unanswered Prayers", shown to the right, is one of her more abstract paintings. She remarks "Camp made me realize that my prayers would never be answered. I knew my mother would never come back to life, and I would never be a blue-eyed blond." She features to the top right of the painting, which depicts her coming out of a cement shower room, "uncomfortable, sad, and depressed." Many of the paintings in the exhibit depict similar emotions like sorrow, loss, loneliness, and longing; this one also illustrates her insecurity about her body as she moved towards puberty in the camp, where she was required to shower naked with the other women.

Montez Productions made a film of her story, "Childhood Memories of Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz," in 2011.[16] Her art also appears in the documentary "Heart Mountain: An All-American Town," by Raechel Donahue.[17]

Personal life

Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz is married to Richard de Queiroz.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: 2011 . Orange County Nikkei Heritage Museum Exhibition / New Birth of Freedom:Civil War to Civil Rights in California . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20211023215018/http://www.culturalnews.com/?p=5530 . 23 October 2021 . 2 February 2023 . Japanese Art & Culture in LA . en-US.
  2. Web site: Interviews with Artists: Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20190710160623/http://www.abitterlegacy.com/artists-1/ . 10 July 2019 . 2 February 2023 . A Bitter Legacy . en-US.
  3. Web site: Walker . Theresa . 13 August 2010 . Artist spent part of youth in relocation camp . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202230551/https://www.ocregister.com/2010/08/13/artist-spent-part-of-youth-in-relocation-camp/ . 2 February 2023 . 2 February 2023 . . en-US.
  4. Web site: Villaneda . Rebecca . 12 February 2009 . Exhibit Explores the Japanese-American Experience: Artist Paints the Colors of an Internment Camp . Peninsula News.
  5. Web site: 16 August 2013 . Photographs of Nisei Queens Through the Years . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220829115622/https://www.kcet.org/shows/departures/photographs-of-nisei-queens-through-the-years . 29 August 2022 . 2 February 2023 . . en.
  6. Web site: 23 August 2013 . Queens Reunion 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220815185352/https://rafu.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/QueensReunion2013.jpg . 15 August 2022 . 2 February 2023 . Rafu Shimpo . Photograph.
  7. Web site: Baird . Barbara . 12 May 1989 . Injured Teacher Pained by Suspension . subscription . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230202232353/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1989-05-12-me-3122-story.html . 2 February 2023 . 2 February 2023 . . en-US.
  8. Web site: Soto . Erin Yasuda . 25 November 2010 . Artist shares camp memories in Japanese American Museum of SJ exhibit . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220926052713/https://www.nichibei.org/2010/11/artist-shares-camp-memories-in-japanese-american-museum-of-sj-exhibit/ . 26 September 2022 . 2 February 2023 . Nichi Bei.
  9. Book: Lee . Jonathan H. X. . Encyclopedia of Asian American Folklore and Folklife . Nadeau . Kathleen M. . 2011 . ABC-CLIO . 978-0-313-35066-5 . 2 . 611 . en . Google Books.
  10. Book: Queiroz, Chizuko Judy Sugita de . Camp Days, 1942-1945 . 2004 . Edinger Printing . en . Google Books.
  11. Web site: Wyszpolski . Bondo . 12 February 2009 . Rendition then and now: The Japanese American internments and their relationship to today's renditions are explored in a Palos Verdes art show and a Torrance performing arts series . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20160304141440/http://archive.easyreadernews.com/story.php?StoryID=20034686&IssuePath= . 4 March 2016 . Easy Reader.
  12. Web site: 18 November 2011 . 'Camp Days' Exhibit Closes Dec. 30 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140513011337/http://www.rafu.com/2011/11/%E2%80%98camp-days%E2%80%99-exhibition-closes-dec-30/ . 13 May 2014 . 10 May 2014 . Rafu Shimpo.
  13. Web site: 2011 . Camp Days: 1942-1945, Childhood Memories of Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20230203031929/http://museu.ms/exhibition/details/986/camp-days-19421945-childhood-memories-of-chizuko-judy-sugita-de-queiroz . 3 February 2023 . 2 February 2023 . Museums of the World . en.
  14. Web site: Cabana . Steven . 5 March 2007 . Colorful Recollection: Painful memories of camp and fading history the inspiration for artist's haunting collection . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20160305211506/https://lavozdeanza.com/uncategorized/2007/03/05/colorful-recollection/ . 5 March 2016 . 2 February 2023 . La Voz News.
  15. Web site: Kaku . Will . 2011-12-05 . The Emotional Journey into Camp Days . 2024-08-22 . Japanese American Museum of San Jose . en-US.
  16. Book: de Queiroz . Chizuko Judy Sugita . Montez . Rick . Montez . Shelley . Montez . Ryan Hirayama . 2011 . Camp days 1942-1945 : childhood memories of Chizuko Judy Sugita de Queiroz . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20140512225705/https://www.worldcat.org/title/camp-days-1942-1945-childhood-memories-of-chizuko-judy-sugita-de-queiroz/oclc/793256796 . 12 May 2014 . 2 February 2023 . . 793256796 . DVD.
  17. Web site: 30 May 2012 . Story of a Wedding Dress at Santa Anita Event . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20221204130604/https://rafu.com/2012/05/santa-anita-event-to-feature-story-of-wedding-dress/ . 4 December 2022 . 2 February 2023 . Rafu Shimpo . en-US.

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