16 permanent historical panels, 2011

The series of 16 panels is designed to tell a non-linear graphic memoir of Powell Street. Each design draws on the aesthetics of traditional Japanese hanafuda flower cards, and in this contemporary rendition repeats the four seasonal B.C. flora motifs of maple leaf, saskatoon berry, cherry blossom, and dogwood flower. 

Placed along the 300 and 400 blocks of Powell Street are 12 panels, with an additional set of 4 panels at the 400 block of Alexander Street at the Vancouver Japanese Language School and Hall. The panels become a point of reference; a permanent but short entry point into the historical narratives that make up this neighborhood that was once known as “Paueru-gai.”

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Commissioned by the Powell Street Festival, Nikkei National Museum and Cultural Centre, the City of Vancouver's Great Beginnings Program, The Strathcona Business Improvement Association.