Happiness Is a Smiling Family Photo Collection Shows Good Feelings Still Exist in Post-9/11 World by Natalie Koss The room is full of smiles at ìFamiliar Hour,î the first Washington, D.C., exhibit by Japanese artist Kumi Ecchuya. In fact, hundreds of children and their parents smile at viewers from snapshots displayed at the Japan Information and Culture Center. The photographic collection of families is Ecchuyaís way of showing that a time of happiness and peace can exist in a post-Sept. 11 world. Traveling to New York, Berlin, Milan and Singapore, Ecchuya found a great demand from families willing to help demonstrate that belief. ìAfter Sept. 11,î said Ecchuya, ìI came to realize that what is most precious lies in our humble but peaceful lives, and this art form is needed in todayís world.î Ecchuya created her work with help from elementary schools and more than 500 families. At schools in each city, she organized workshops where families brought two photographs. The families face right in one and left in the other. Ecchuya placed the images symmetrically against a line drawn through the middle of a wall. With all of the faces looking toward the center, the compo sition is eye-catching. ìAll of the photos convey happy feelings from the first glimpse,î said Ecchuya. ìI have come to feel that the winner of life can be measured by how many nights you can recall having shared a sense of happiness with people who are familiar to you.î Before finishing the work, Ecchuya asked families to create frames for displaying their photographs. At each workshop, families created two frames by pouring melted milk cartons into a mold. Before the mold hardened, each family decorated their frames with items that suggest their personal identity. One set of frames that includes train tickets is from a family that clearly enjoys travel. Another family focused more on beauty by decorating their frames with pink bows. Ecchuya created ìFamiliar Hourî after organizing a similar handicraft workshop in Tokyo. More than 100 people participated in creating frames embroidered with memorabilia for their family photographs. All of the families were quite satisfied with what they experienced, said Ecchuya. While trying to find a way to display their work, Ecchuya decided it would be more appealing to show the world creations of families from various countries. ìThe fact that this production was a collaboration with so many people was nothing but hours of happiness for me,î said Ecchuya. ìWorking with people from different countries to make this production, which is a manifestation of gentle feelings inside people, has led me to believe in the potential of the people on this planet.î ìFamiliar Hourî is on a world tour. The exhibit opened in Japan with more than 3,500 visitors in its first week. Art is a family trade for Ecchuya. Her father Hisao Ecchuya is a Western-style painter, while her grandfather Chosei Hanaoka maintains Japanese styles in his painting. Ecchuya has held exhibitions and workshops throughout the world since she began her career after graduating from Tama Art University in 1993. In 1995, Ecchuya created the ìAnswer Project,î for which she used thousands of mushrooms and black lighting to create a model of the universe in an old warehouse. She currently is an organizer of weekly childrenís workshops in Tokyo. ìFamiliar Hourî runs through Jan. 17 at the Japan Information and Culture Center, located on the lower level of 1155 21st St., NW. Metro access is available via Farragut North and West. For more information, please call (202) 238-6900 or visit www.us.emb-japan.go.jp/jicc. Natalie Koss is a freelance writer in Washington, D.C.