Eryn Kimura is a 5th generation San Francisco native, 5th generation Japanese-American, 5th generation Chinese-American, currently working and living in San Francisco.
For the past month Eryn has been raising funds through an indigogo campaign for her We Will Be RESPECTED project, to produce stickers and t-shirts with her signature “artivist” design. Although her goal was not reached, the project was 75% funded. And she’s stoked about it.
“It’s incredible to know people are on the same page about taking agency of ourselves, self determination, taking charge of our history, exuding agency, I’m not okay with this status quo. I would like to change it. And we can. We all perpetuate the status quo on a daily basis by living, by paying our bills. That’s the status quo. Or walking forward, why can’t we walk backwards.”
At the same time, Eryn has been collaborating and organizing with members of the community in Japantown for a pop-up gallery space last month that hosted workshops, visual and performing art, readings, film screenings and more. The gallery called Suite J-Town, The Art of Resilience presented work with Nancy Hom, Brenda Wong Aoki, Celi Tamayo-Lee, Ayana Yonesaka, and more. As a intercultural and intergeneration project, Suite J-town was putting on these events to celebrate the history of the community through art.
More from Eryn Kimura — erynyk.com & @erynkimura.
*Interview recorded May 15, 2015 and originally published May 16, 2015 on cargocollective.com/sfacc.
