The Art of Living – Landscapes

Today, the landscape of the Arkansas Delta is dominated by agriculture and scattered with small communities; however, in 1942 when the first Japanese Americans arrived by train from the West Coast, Rohwer and the surrounding area was swampland. In fact, part of this transformation from swampland to farmable land was brought about using Japanese American labor to drain the swamps.

The isolation of this area is reflected in many of these works, while other works focus on the camp structures and everyday environment. In addition to illustrating their surroundings, these artists captured the beauty they found or created within the camps. These landscapes reflect the Japanese American community’s effort to improve their situation and find happiness within hardship.