Turning Japanese
“Turning Japanese” is a body of work developed through Wendy Maruyama’s visits to Japan between 1994 and 2004. These experiences reawakened questions surrounding memory, cultural identity, and her experience as a third-generation Japanese American. The work navigates the contradictions of Japan’s cultural landscape, where references to Old Japan—samurai, Zen gardens, ukiyo-e prints, and geishas—collide with the hyper-commercial imagery of contemporary Japan: Godzilla, pachinko parlors, and anime. Moving between nostalgia, stereotype, and personal history, the series reflects on the complexities of inherited identity and cultural perception.
