MINAMI Hiroshi
Born: 1942 – Died: 2 August 1943
Particulars:
Minami Hiroshi was born in Aotearoa / New Zealand in the winter of 1942, the first and only child of his parents Minami Seichiro and Kiyomi. His mother Kiyomi was being held in a town south of Auckland with other Pacific Nikkei women and children, and his father Seichiro was held separately in civilian internment on Matiu / Somes Island in Wellington Harbour. Seichiro probably would have seen his son for the first time when his family was reunited for a flight to Australia in August 1943, around Hiroshi’s first birthday. Tragically, the plane crashed soon after take-off. All three of the Minami family died in the crash.
–Sophie Constable
More info:
Sophie Constable
Artist/s Statement:
Hiroshi Minami was about one year old when he died. He was born during one New Zealand winter, lived one summer, and died as the next winter turned to spring. I thought of my child at one, just walking, so curious about the world, so precious, and I wanted to wrap Hiroshi in cotton wool. I read that his mother Kiyomi was taken to buy baby clothes as Hiroshi’s birth grew near, and I remembered also wanting at least one thing new for my first baby even though we had many hand-me-downs. And then I realised the hand-me-downs of the 10 Nikkei children at Pokeno would have been from life in Tonga, too cold for New Zealand. So I stitched Hiroshi a big soft romper from an old New Zealand woollen jumper of my grandfather’s, attached kimono silk buttons so he could toddle to his heart’s content in the New Zealand winter.
Artist Bio:
Sophie Constable is an artist, scientist, researcher, and educator at The Australian National University in Canberra.