The Vancouver Cherry Blossom Festival’s Haiku Invitational attracts writers from all over the world to submit poems from which winners are selected in six categories. The winning haiku are then given to emerging and established artists from cultural partners of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations and Japanese-Canadian artists to produce exciting new visual works to celebrate the 2024 winning haiku and the transcendent fleeting beauty of the flowering cherry tree.
cherry blossoms
the baby’s epiphany
about fingers
Antoinette Cheung
Vancouver
cherry blossoms
birdwatching
takes a back seat
Marcia Burton
Salt Spring Island
blossom time
giving her seat
to an elder
Nancy Richards
Crapaud, Prince Edward Island
cherry festival
the robins gather
in the grass
Carmen F.S., Age 9
Winnetka, IL
along the path to myself cherry blossoms
Stefanie Bucifal
Konstanz, Germany
her oxygen
by the window
cherry blossoms
Shawn Blair
Cohoes NY
Artist Bios
Jordanna George
Jordanna George is an artist of mixed T’Sou-ke and Ukrainian ancestry. Originally from Sooke, BC, they now live on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) nations in Coquitlam, BC. Their work largely consists of comics and illustrations, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and hope, and pulling influence from Indigeneity, queerness, and science fiction. They can be found at jordannageorge.com and on social media as @raebirdart.
Lotus Miyashita & Lili Aiko Bentley Miyashita
Lotus and her adult child Lili are life-long Nikkei artists from the Vancouver-area. The creativity gene was passed down from Issei grandmother Kyoko—an avid dressmaker and quilter—to Nisei daughter Lotus, a designer, artist, and entrepreneur; and then to the Sansei generation through Lili, a university student studying linguistics with aspirations of helping others. From the moment they could speak, mark-making and storytelling have been integral parts of their lives. Through their artwork, they express their identities while honoring their histories, relationships, and the journeys that have shaped who they are today. This is their first collaboration.
Margaret August
Margaret August (Pronouns: They/them/their) is a Two-Spirit, Coast Salish artist and is a member of shíshálh Nation. Margaret was born in 1983 in the traditional unceded L ək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, now referred to as Victoria B.C. Margaret’s work is inspired by the archival art pieces of their ancestors in combination with their spiritual encounters with nature. Margaret originally began developing their artistic talents at an early age. They were introduced to Coast Salish art through the late Tlingit artist Mark Preston in 2016; to which then, lead Margaret to seek guidance and mentorship with Coast Salish artist Dylan Thomas in 2016-2023. Blossoming into their cultural artform was a sign to Margaret of their life’s purpose.
Mia Ohki
Mia Ohki is a Japanese-Canadian artist from St. Albert, Alberta, now working in Ottawa, Ontario. As a person of Métis-Nikkei heritage, she explores mixed identity and culture, aiming to bring value to her communities through authentic representations of traditional aspects and honest depictions of personal experience. Mia often brings a playful aspect to her work, enjoying the personification of nature and the use of symbolism and emotive meaning. Her art business, Mia Ohki Illustrations, opened in 2016. Through her business, she created the “Protect Our Trees” mural on Fujiya in Vancouver, recently exhibited work at the Art Gallery of St. Albert, and is currently working on her first sculpture exhibition.
Nanami Kobayashi
Nanami is a Japanese artist and textile designer specializing in soft colour palettes and warm, tactile expressions. She also works in graphic design and illustration. Cherry blossoms bloom for only about 10 days. For most of the year, they quietly gather energy, then release it all at once—blooming beautifully before gently fading away. That sudden burst of energy instantly makes flowers bloom in my heart. Inspired by the beauty of Haiku and the powerful energy of cherry blossoms, this work expresses the joy of becoming part of the festival myself. I’m thankful to share my work as part of the Cherry Blossom Festival.
Taka Sudo
Born and raised in Tokyo, now residing in Vancouver Canada. In his work, exploring the intersection of urban and organic, bold and subtle, East and West. The essence of his art lies in its ability to convey strong, true energy found amidst the real and unreal, assembling abstract elements which are composed of bright colours and neutral colours into organic shapes that represent our environment, existence, and the dynamic flow of everyday life. His work is a visual representation of current affairs, information, and individual passion, making visible the invisible energies that define our collective experience.