To Implore Your Light

In a fusion of history, memory, and artistic innovation, Japanese American artist Kei Ito's, "To Implore Your Light," emerges as a powerful testament to the interwoven legacies of both Japanese and American nuclear experiences.
 
Diving deep into the concealed nuclear history within the United States, Ito's multidimensional installation and performance transcends time and space. This compelling book unravels the genesis and significance of Ito's project, meticulously detailing its conception and creation.
 
At the heart of "To Implore Your Light" lies Ito's 2021 artist residency at MASS MoCA in North Adams, Massachusetts. Armed with a modified camera flash, Ito projected the haunting 35mm transparencies of 108 eyes—commemorating 54 American Downwinders and 54 Japanese A-bomb victims—onto the very buildings once occupied by the Sprague Electric Company. Here, amidst the echoes of World War II, Sprague's involvement in crafting capacitors for the devastating atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima reveals an unsettling connection to one of humanity's darkest moments.
 
Rooted in personal trauma passed down from his grandfather, an atomic bombing survivor, Ito's artwork becomes a conduit for grappling with identity, heritage, and the intangible forces of radiation, memory, and mortality. His profound exploration excavates hidden histories, drawing parallels between past and present, confronting global power dynamics that echo through the corridors of both war and peace.
 
Ito's artistic mastery transforms spaces into temporal monuments, inviting audiences to confront societal injustices and commemorate those lost to historical tragedies. Within these visual narratives of horror and trauma, Ito navigates a path toward peaceful contemplation, offering a serene oasis amidst the turbulence of memory.
 
"To Implore Your Light" is not merely an exposition of artistry; it is a call to witness, to reflect, and to honor the resilience of the human spirit in the face of profound historical shadows.
 
This is an autographed limited edition photo book.