Sugar (2010) – Laura Kina

**Kasuri**, Oil on wood panel, 30 x 45 in., 2010
Private collection Chicago, IL.

Laura Kina: Sugar
September 10–October 28, 2010

Women Made Gallery
685 N. Milwaukee Avenue
Chicago, IL 60642
312-738-0400
gallery@womanmade.org

Artist Statement

Set during the 1920’s-1940’s, my Sugar paintings recall obake ghost stories and feature Japanese and Okinawan picture brides turned machete carrying sugar cane plantation field laborers on the Big Island of Hawaii. Drawing on oral history and family photographs from Nisei (2nd generation) and Sansei (3rd generation) from Peepekeo, Pi’ihonua, and Hakalau plantation community members as well as historic images, my paintings take us into a beautiful yet grueling world of manual labor, cane field fires and flumes.

Note – Selected works from this initial solo show went on to be part of the my traveling Blue Hawai’i solo show and as part of my two-woman show with Emily Hanako Momohara titled Sugar/Islands: Finding Okinawa in Hawaii.

**Cane Fire**, Oil on canvas, 30 x 45 in., 2010
**PURCHASE HERE**

**Palaka**, Oil on canvas, 30 x 45 in., 2010
Collection of DePaul School of Music, Chicago, IL.

**Obon**, Oil on canvas, 30 x 45 in., 2010
**PURCHASE HERE**

**Hajichi #1 (Okinawan Tattoo)**, Oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 in., 2010
Collection of North Eastern Illinois University, Chicago, IL.

**Hajichi #2 (Okinawan Tattoo)**, Oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 in., 2010
Private collection Chicago, IL.

**Sugar Study #1**, Oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 in., 2010

**Sugar Study #2**, Oil on wood panel, 18 x 24 in., 2010
**PURCHASE HERE**

**Cane Flume**, Oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 in., 2010
Private collection Chicago, IL.

**Ho Hana**, Oil on wood panel, 12 x 12 in., 2010
Private collection Chicago, IL.

Women Made Gallery Installation Photos

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