Sunsets for Emeryville

2021–2022 · Ink and paper (four works), 18” × 18” each (reproduced as inkjet prints)

Four works commissioned by the City of Emeryville's Bus Shelter Public Art Program, each paying tribute to an individual who has contributed to Emeryville's history and culture: a trans educator, a visionary architect, a Black teenager murdered by police and his mother who turned grief into organizing, and a Japanese American student whose education was interrupted by incarceration.

The printed paper used to create these flowers features abstracted gradients derived from photographs of Emeryville sunsets I took over five years of living here; the original 18” × 18” ink and paper works were digitally printed as 43” × 46” posters and displayed at four bus shelters throughout the city in 2022. Displayed in bus shelters around town, residents waiting for the bus had an opportunity to learn about neighbors past and present who stood up to injustice, or helped imagine the future differently.

Sunset (for Steve Dain), 2021
ink and paper, 18 × 18"

Steve Dain was a teacher at Emery High School. In 1975, the Emeryville school district fired him from his position due to his undergoing gender confirmation surgery. Steve served as a mentor to other trans men at a time when accessing support and information was difficult. The city of Emeryville honored Steve in 2021 through renaming the portion of 47th Street in front of Emery High to Steve Dain Drive.

Sunset (for Tyrone Guyton & Mattie Guyton Shepherd), 2022
ink and paper, 18 × 18"

Tyrone Guyton was a 14 year-old boy murdered by Emeryville police in 1973. While grieving the loss of her son, Tyrone’s mother Mattie Guyton Shepherd took action. She formed the Committee for Justice for Tyrone Guyton to seek justice for her son’s murder. The committee’s work extended beyond Tyrone’s murder to advocate for regional and national social justice causes, including justice for other victims of police violence and the rights of queer parents to raise their children.

Sunset (for Eugene Tssui), 2022
ink and paper, 18 × 18"

Visionary architect Eugene Tssui’s work incorporates ecological principles. Humanity’s interconnectedness with nature is a foundational aspect of his designs. Based in Emeryville, Eugene is best known locally as the architect of Berkeley’s “Fish House.” His unconventional designs help us imagine a more harmonious and sustainable world. To learn more about Eugene, watch the 2014 documentary TELOS: The Fantastic World of Eugene Tssui or visit his website at eugenetsui.com

Sunset (for Rayko Sekiguchi), 2022
ink and paper, 18" x 18"

Rayko Sekiguchi was in her senior year at Emery High School in 1942 when her family was incarcerated at the Tanforan Assembly Center along with other Japanese-Americans under Executive Order 9066. From there, they were forcibly relocated to the Topaz concentration camp in Utah. Her family’s home and three Sun Market grocery stores in Emeryville, Berkeley and San Leandro were taken away from them. In 2004, at the age of 79 and despite the pain of her experience, Rayko returned to Emery High and received her diploma.