LAND OF WE
The Land of WE is both an ongoing project and a world born out of Erin Yoshi’s imagination. A parallel to the reality we’re living in, the tale centers around the idea that WE was once a cohesive and interconnected planet, bountiful and flourishing until the introduction of a terrible virus called “I.” The virus, “I”, affected sight, foresight that is. Those who caught it could no longer see the ripples and waves that echoed from their actions. This moment marked the beginning of the decline. It’s not difficult to see the metaphors, the implications about the state of our world, and the unsettling reality that without special attention to ecology and culture, our world is in decline as well, but there is hope in education and visibility!
Artist Erin Yoshi is bringing the Land of WE to the streets to do just this. On March 10th, Yoshi launches 10 billboards, each with their own unique artwork, collectively making up a drive through the Land of WE. The first of its kind, it’s meant to be an educational activity for individuals and families to do safely, complete with descriptions to begin a dialogue about some of the most important aspects of our community and some that may not be as well known.
Though the project deals with matters of great importance, Yoshi chooses positivity, honoring diversity and fostering a sense of community.
“Land of We is a public art project to reimagine a future where ecology and culture thrive. Where living in balance with nature is a mainstream practice. Where diverse cultures are celebrated, histories honored, and people can live without fear of exploitation and violence.”
The billboards feature diverse and varied subject matters, from the depiction of polar bears to highlight the very real effects of climate change in “The Melting World'' to the hands dedicated to the families and lost loved ones of Covid-19 in “Living On Through Stories.” Yoshi chose each subject matter with care. The piece entitled “To Be Visible” features Julia Bogany, a teacher, activist and Tongva elder who has personally made it her mission to bring visibility to the Gabrieleno-Tongva people who occupied much of what is now the LA Basin, as well as the Channel Islands.
Strategically set up across Los Angeles, billboards are spaced out from Playa Del Rey to Atwater Village, making this a tour of both the Land of WE and a tour of Los Angeles. Beginning on March 10th, the billboard map and artwork guide will be available on www.erinyoshi.com, completing the interactive drive-thru exhibition experience and providing viewers with a more comprehensive education about the billboard subject matters. Until then, the printable version can be found here. We encourage green modes of transportation including biking for those who have the option.
For those who want to bring the experience home with them, Sugar Press is creating a run of small print packs available for purchase.
Yoshi has been hard at work on this project, but that’s not all. A force of nature herself, Erin Yoshi is also doing a takeover of the NOT REAL ART Podcast for the month of March in honor of International Women’s Day. Featuring six interviews with fascinating women, this series is a breath of fresh air.
As we work to find a new normal in our everyday lives, Erin Yoshi brings us art that is fundamentally thoughtful, not just for the timely and poignant subjects and the emphasis on education, but as a safely accessible exhibition that is open to the entire Los Angeles community.
About Erin Yoshi
Erin Yoshi is a community instigator, harnessing her creative power to spread information and awareness. With a practice deeply rooted in historic cultural memories and current global conditions, Yoshi is able to harness abstract color vibrations and figurative storytelling in the pursuit of cultural diversity and biodiversity. She is a renowned muralist and community organizer, a member of The Trust Your Struggle Collective (US), COI (LA), and APC (South America), and previously managed two public art non-profits as the Executive Director of the Estria Foundation and the Interim Director of the Mural Conservancy of Los Angeles. She has painted over 100+ murals around the globe. All of this in the pursuit of creating hope and lines of camaraderie.