Most of the people that visit Japantown have seen the beautiful sidewalk art in front of JAMsj and the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin. The artist that created them is JAMsj volunteer Momo Cha. Momo is now preparing to draw for the upcoming Jtown Art Walk that is scheduled on September 10-11. Then soon after that, she will be embarking on her next big adventure. The JAMsj Blog had a chance to catch up with her.
Momo at the Italian Street Painting Marin in 2018. Her work depicts a scene from the Studio Ghibli movie “Grave of the Fireflies.” It was a homage for the director of the movie Isao Takahata who had passed away that year.
Q. How did you start volunteering at JAMsj and what do you do at the museum?
While studying at San Jose State University, I used to work at Kubota Restaurant. I learned about the existence of the JAMsj since it's so close to Kubota, but I hadn't actually gone inside. A few years after graduating, my work encouraged us all to go volunteer for our ‘Month of Giving’ so I decided that I wanted to be more involved with the Japanese American community. I first started out as a graphic designer, but there was a dire need for a website admin and IT. So, I became primarily responsible for managing the JAMsj website and also help with any computer and design needs.
Q. You are famous for your chalk art. Can you tell us how you started doing that?
I grew up in San Rafael, California, where they used to have an annual Italian Street Painting festival. In high school, my art teacher, Tia Warner, saw potential in my artwork and encouraged me to challenge myself to do art beyond pencil and paper and to participate in the annual festival. Since then, I've been street painting for 19 years at various events around the Bay Area. I also create chalk art for clients.
Momo’s work for JAMsj in 2021.
Q. What is your most memorable work and why?
That's incredibly difficult to choose. They're all memorable to me as they are my creations that I pour my heart into.
One piece that comes to mind that was a turning point for me was in 2015 for the Italian Street Painting Marin. I chose to do an homage to famous Japanese manga artist, Inoue Takehiko, who draws the Vagabond manga about the legendary samurai, Musashi. Up to that point, I was mainly collaborating with others on group pieces, but in 2015, I "went solo" and wanted to experiment with different chalking techniques. At the advice of my high school art teacher who was still mentoring me, I mixed charcoal powder and water to simulate a Japanese ink painting effect. I really enjoyed the dynamic and unique look.
Momo working on Musashi in 2015.
Q. You offered your service as part of the museum’s fund-raising auction to create chalk art for the highest bidder. What happened after that?
It hasn't happened yet, but I'm planning on drawing it for the Jtown Art Walk on September 10th and 11th. The location will be the San Jose Buddhist Church Betsuin at 640 N 5th St, San Jose, CA 95112. The highest bidder is actually a friend of mine and she's sent me many images of what kind of themes she's interested in. Her ideas are great and I'm really looking forward to working on it! I don't want to spoil it, so I'll leave it a surprise. Come by for the Jtown Art Walk to watch me work!
I will also be talking as one of the panelists at the Japantown Artist Panel that is scheduled at 5:30 on September 10 at the JAMsj parking lot.
Q. What is your day job? And how do you like to spend your time outside of the museum?
I work as a UI/UX designer for my full-time job. In my free time, I like to draw, paint, play video games, practice my Japanese, and travel the world. I've started my own small business, selling my artwork as various merchandise like prints, cards, pins, stickers, and T-shirts. I like going to art fairs to connect with people and share my creativity with the public. Some of my products will be for sale at the museum store so please come by and visit!
Q. What's next on your horizon?
I actually just accepted a new job offer in Tokyo so I will be moving to Japan in October. I will be designing applications for a new smart city being built in Shizuoka, Japan.
I will dearly miss the museum and the San Jose community, but I'll definitely come back! To everyone who has ever seen my artwork around Japantown, online, or anywhere else and felt even just a little bit inspired, thank you! Please continue to support the local San Jose art scene and I appreciate every one of you!
Thank you, Momo for all your contributions to JAMsj and San Jose Japantown! We wish you the best of luck with your new job and life in Tokyo!
By Norri Kageki