SHIMAMURA Denjiro
島村傳次郎
Born: 9 May 1887 – Died: 16 December 1943
Particulars:
Denjiro was born in Kumamoto Prefecture in Japan. He was a single man working as a farmer in New Hebrides, now Vanuatu, when the Pacific War broke out. He was taken to Australia and interned at Hay Internment Camp in Victoria. When he arrived in Sydney, he handed over 1 pound 17 shillings to the authorities at Liverpool. He also had with him some personal effects including clothing. He was transferred to Loveday Internment Camp in South Australia in 1943 as part of a prisoner re-organisation. He was admitted to hospital in December 1943 and died four days later. His grave is in the Japanese Cemetery in Cowra, New South Wales, Australia.
–Mayu Kanamori
More info:
Nastasia Shing
Artist/s Statement:
My work explores memory, displacement, and resilience through quiet, symbolic imagery. A single red camellia floats on a surface of still water, a poignant tribute to Shimamura Denjiro, a Japanese farmer from Kumamoto, who was forcibly relocated to an internment camp in Australia during World War II.
The red camellia, a flower imbued with both strength and fragility, becomes a vessel of cultural memory and silent dignity, symbolising Denjiro’s Japanese heritage and his unspoken passing. The stillness of the water evokes the silenced histories of migration and internment, while hinting at the deep emotional currents that lie beneath. Through this piece, I seek to honour the resilience of those whose stories remain largely untold.
Artist Bio:
Nastasia Shing is a self taught artist, and a marine biologist based in Vanuatu. Her great-grandfather Nagamine Shinji was also interned in Australia during World War II, which explains her deep interest in the When You Call My Name Project.