Exhibit Title: "Craig Nagasawa: Paintings and Constructions" Date: Feb. 23 to March 27 Where: Memorial Union Art Gallery Second Floor, Memorial Union University of California, Davis Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 2 to 5 p.m. Sundays Opening Reception: 3 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 23 Artist: Craig Nagasawa The paintings, drawings and painted constructions in this exhibit, made in the past two years, were inspired by Bay Area artist Craig Nagasawa's first visit to Japan, in 1990. In his ancestral home, Nagasawa was struck by his conformity -- in terms of physical appearance -- with the local population, and by the realization of how much that same appearance placed him at the margins of mainstream society in the United States. Since that visit, Nagasawa has been using metaphorical images and richly suggestive patterns to portray aspects of Japanese-American immigrant history, such as immigrants' aspirations, their internment during World War II and discrimination. He also draws upon his experiences as a Japanese American growing up in Salt Lake City. One effect of his paintings is to evoke the peripheral quality of memory, the way that memories are more often seen out of the corner of the eye than stared at directly. "I'm fascinated by the ability painting has to signify conflicting biographical, social and emotional elements," Nagasawa said. "There seems to be an interesting interchange of responsibility and denial, spirituality and politics among immigrant Japanese Americans." Nagasawa received his master's degree in fine arts from UC Davis in 1983.