Watercolors Inspired by Chiura Obata

During World War II, the U.S. Government incarcerated more than 120,000 Japanese Americans and Japanese immigrants at remote incarceration centers – including at the Topaz Relocation Center in Delta, Utah. At Topaz, art flourished in spite of the adverse circumstances. Renowned artist and distinguished UC Berkeley art professor Chiura Obata founded the Topaz Art School while incarcerated, and hundreds of

Japanese Americans incarcerated in the barren, remote desert attended lessons on painting, drawing, sculpture, and other art forms. At the May Art Walk, explore digitized selections of Obata’s work, and create your own watercolor inspired by the artistic legacy and resilience of those incarcerated at Topaz.