An unexpectedly large number of people attended the When You Call My Name (WYCMN) project launch and inaugural exhibition on Thursday 11 September in Canberra, a part of the ANU Immersia: Engaging with Asia 2025 program.
The exhibition was officially opened by Dr Keiko Tamura, one of Nikkei Australia’s founding members. An estimated 100 people attended the launch and participated in the group-hanging of the 225 artworks created by 166 artists in this collaborative, community art project honouring World War II civilian internees. Artists travelled from all over Australia to attend this inaugural exhibition.
After the formalities, including speeches by project initiator Mayu Kanamori, one of the main facilitators Sophie Constable, as well as Dr Yuriko Nagata – who gave some background to the history of civilian internment in Australia – audience members hung the artworks on the blank exhibition wall to create the final collage (pictured below). Artists attending the launch hung their own artworks.
This ceremonial hanging follows the Buddhist ritual of oshoko, where reverence to the dead is shown by offering incense at an altar or a space of spiritual significance. An audio installation created by Masako Fukui calling out the 208 names of the civilian internees provided the sonic backdrop to this memorial ceremony.
All attendees were also encouraged to write a message to the deceased internees on special postcards featuring each of the 225 artworks.
Over the past year, both professional and non-professional artists of all ages from over 15 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Japan, United States, Canada, Germany, Malta, Vanuatu, and Tonga created works to remember the 208 civilians who died while interned as ‘Japanese enemy aliens’ in Australia during WWII. WYCMN is a Nikkei Australia project, and while some of our members participated, most contributing artists had never heard about the history of civilian internment in Australia, and expressed how moved and inspired they were to be a part of WYCMN.
Following the exhibition opening, two workshops were held on 12 September, where artists spoke about their artworks and their journeys of discovery while researching the history of civilian internment in Australia. These personal recollections, shared with other artists, was a testament to how the WYCMN project has successfully brought together people from diverse backgrounds to honour and remember those who are often forgotten in the chaos of war.
(From left to right: Artists Sue Pedley, makico,, Andras Keszei, Chie Muraoka, Sophie Constable. Photos by Masako Fukui)
The exhibiton will be showing in the Tea Room foyer of the Coombs Building at The Australian National University in Canberra until 29 September 2025. Other exhibitions and events in Perth and Broome in Western Australia, Cowra in New South Wales, and Osaka, Japan are being planned.
Listen to Mayu Kanamori and Sophie Constable on ABC Canberra Sunday Brunch program with Kim Huynh on 14 September 2025. The interview begins at approximately 1:06:35.
For more information, updates, and to view all the 225 artworks online, visit the When You Call My Name website.
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