AKAMINE Kame
Born: 10 October 1878 – Died: 8 June 1945
Particulars:
Kame was born in Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. He was a single man working as a gardener in Kanaky / New Caledonia when the Pacific War broke out. He was taken to South Australia and interned at Loveday Internment Camp. He was later transferred to Moorook West Wood Camp, and then to Woolenook Wood Camp. He was taken to the camp hospital with gastric carcinoma, then transferred to another hospital, but died a couple of months before the end of the war, aged 66. His grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Mayu Kanamori
More info:
Eriko Arnold
Artist/s Statement:
I was trying to express Kame’s feelings and thoughts for his home and family far away in Okinawa. I could imagine him singing an Okinawan song, ‘Tinsagu nu Hana’, while reminiscing about his parents and siblings. Living in a land far from his family and home must not have been easy, and those who survived must have had great resilience to stay strong. The three hibiscus flowers – an iconic flower of Okinawa – have positive meanings such as ‘exquisite beauty’ and ‘bravery’, representing what I imagine was Kame’s state of being.
Artist Bio:
Eriko Arnold is originally from Uruma City, formerly Ishikawa City, in Okinawa, Japan. She moved to Sydney, Australia in 2017 with her family. Eriko is currently teaching Japanese to children with a Japanese background.