Paper and sand, light and shadow, memory and identity, the familiar and the strange; woven together these are the elements that compose Kimi Maeda’s Ephemera Trilogy.  Developed over a period of six years, Ephemera’s three short solo performances use a range of innovative storytelling techniques and stunning visuals to explore the artist’s bi-cultural identity and family history. The Crane Wife uses shadow puppetry to reimagine the traditional Japanese folk tale of the same name as a metaphor for her mother’s experiences as a Japanese immigrant.  In The Homecoming, Maeda uses a flashlight to bring stationery paper cutouts to life while exploring the link between one’s home, memory and identity.  Finally, in Bend, Maeda’s work reaches it’s apex as her father’s history, spanning his time in a WWII American internment camp to his recent struggle with Alzheimer’s, is dramatically told through archival film footage and live sand drawings developed by Maeda on stage.  Together, the three pieces offer a glimpse into the mind of one of South Carolina’s most inventive and creative performance artists.  The development of Ephemera was made possible through generous grants from the Jim Henson Foundation, the South Carolina Arts Commission, Alternate Roots, the Arkansas Arts Council, the Japanese American Citizens League, and the KO Theatre Festival.

 

Bend clip from Belle et Bête on Vimeo.

The Crane Wife Trailer from Kimi Maeda on Vimeo.

 

TheHomecomingTrailer from Kimi Maeda on Vimeo.
Kimi Maeda is a theatre artist based in Columbia, SC whose intimate visual performances cross disciplines and push boundaries. Her ephemera trilogy is a collection of sand drawing and shadow performances that deal with memory, home, and trans-cultural identity. In 2011 she founded Belle et Bête, a puppet production and promotion company, with local artist Lyon Hill. Together they produce the bi-annual Spork in Hand Puppet Slam. They also created Planet Hopping, an intergalactic puppet adventure, as well as Grime and Glory, a multimedia puppet celebration of barbecue pitmasters. Kimi received her MFA in scenic design from the University of South Carolina, her MA in Scenography from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London, and her BA in studio art from Williams College. She was the recipient of the 2005 Rose Brand Award from the United States Institute of Theatre Technology and her costume design for Polaroid Stories was chosen for display in the 2007 Prague Quadrennial. She has designed sets and costumes in Columbia, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Boston, New York, Baltimore, Norfolk, London, and Sevilla and was a puppeteer for several years for the Columbia Marionette Theatre.