8 Thursday, January 5, 2017 Island Beat Hawaii Tribune-Herald tsunami and then destroyed by the 1960 tsunami. Due to the threat of future tsunamis, it was declared a green zone and then became a park. I knew there had to be more to the story, and that’s where Mr. Sewell took up the challenge to answer that question in detail.” A retired master carpenter, Sewell worked on model railroads years ago and has been interested in miniatures ever since, but it was the story of the area that really got him hooked on the project. “It has changed quite a bit over the years, and when I was doing my research, there were a lot of photographs of the tsunami and post-tsunami,” Sewell says. “But my purpose all along has been to show people what was here before. It was a complete town with buildings and houses. All the roads were different. There was a lot going on down here. The name ‘Shinmachi’ means ‘new town’ in Japanese, and it was established in 1900.” Sewell built a 6-square-foot model and experimented with different techniques for making houses and trees, all based off of aerial photos he found of the area that were taken by the U.S. Geological Survey. “It was extremely interesting and fun to do this,” Sewell says, noting that he plans to be at the gallery often to talk to guests about this work. “I feel like I’m doing something for my community that really hasn’t been done before.” “Burnt Rice” is the first out-ofstate exhibit for the Epekto Art Projects group from the San Francisco Bay Area. “Epekto Art Projects involves visual artists who live in the Bay Area and who share a heritage of the Philippines,” explains group founder Pamela Ybañez. “Many of us continue to hold a strong bond to our customs and culture. As a collective, we come up with William Sewell with his 1/375 scale model of the Wailoa River State Recreation Area prior to the 1960 tsunami. Courtesy photo ideas together and see what sticks.” “Burnt Rice” explores Filipino customs through people’s spiritual connection to plants and animals. “Flora and fauna can symbolize a type of ‘grounding’ of energies,” Ybañez says. “Rice holds a special link to both our cultures as Filipinos saw it as a staple to our diet and the plant itself is commonly seen throughout the archipelago of the Philippines. This plant is so directly linked to our being, as it provides physical sustenance, nourishes our soul and continues our connection to our heritage.” WAILOA From page 7 See WAILOA Page 9
ib
To see the actual publication please follow the link above