Description

American Buddahead and Super Buddahead, 2012

(Two lithographs from the American Knockoff series of imagery)

Roger Shimomura is a 3rd generation American citizen of Japanese descent, who was born in Seattle, Washington. In recent years much of his work has reflected, with humor, the common, subtle references that some people make to connect him to stereotypical “oriental” traits.

“Many American born citizens of Asian descent continue to be thought of as only ‘American Knockoffs.’ American Buddahead is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek confirmation of what I must look like to the majority culture. Super Buddahead asks whether Superman must be Caucasian to be complete. The term “buddahead” was a World War II term used by the Japanese American soldiers among themselves.”

– Roger Shimomura –