Emma Nishimura (b. 1982, Canada) lives and works in Toronto, Canada. Her work ranges from traditional etchings, pigment prints, drawings, and audio pieces to art installations. Nishimura received her MFA from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2013 and her BA from the University of Guelph in 2005. Her work is in public and private collections and has been exhibited in Canada and abroad. Emma is currently the Chair of Photography, Printmaking and Publications at OCAD University. Previously she taught at the University of Guelph, Sheridan College and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
Jury statement 2018:
The jury has been deeply impressed by the consistent quality in Emma Nishimura’s body of work. The artist explores notions of memory and how history is interpreted and re-negotiated, through a varied use of traditional and contemporary printmaking techniques. From miniscule hand-etched texts used in the topographic contours on maps, to photogravure on paper successfully molded three-dimensionally, the artist incorporates traces of history and individual stories exploring spatial and temporal realities. Nishimura questions the parameters of history through collected stories, inherited narratives, geography and family photos. Her body of work is exquisite and consistent – an exceptional thoroughness is at the core of her art practice.