MiK Heritage Connections, Re-Imagining Rita and Masataka Taketsuru Exhibition

The Re-Imagining Rita and Masataka Taketsuru Exhibition, was the second of our 5 pilot exhibitions. It explored the early 20th-century life and imagery of Kirkintilloch-born Rita Cowan, and her Japanese husband Masataka and was the result of two collaborative programmes of work between artist and maker, Elspeth Lamb with participants from East Dunbartonshire Women’s Aid and senior pupils at Kirkintilloch High school.

Rita’s story forms an important part of Kirkintilloch’s heritage, attracting visitors from across the globe and especially from Japan, where she lived her life with her husband Masataka Taketsuru, helping him build one of Japan’s most successful and best-known whisky distilleries – the Yoichi Distillery in Hokkaido.

Works for the exhibition were highly personal explorations of Rita and Masataka’s story and included a folded concertina printed book realised by Women’s Aid participants, zines from students at Kirkintilloch High School and a specially commissioned new series of silk screen prints about Rita by Elspeth Lamb, including an image of Rita as a Samurai. Inspired by an observation from one of the participants from Women’s Aid, the samurai warrior became a fitting metaphor for Rita, as a woman whose strength of character and resolve is so powerfully conveyed in her story and journey from Kirkintilloch to Japan.

Artefacts from EDLC Collections helped contextualise Rita and Masataka’s story and included Rita’s kimono (gifted to EDLC Collections), as well as historic photographic images, and more contemporary graphic and manga comic strips inspired by Rita and Masataka.

The MiK Exhibitions and Community Engagement programme was a year long pilot of exhibitions, realised through a collaboration between local groups in the community, artists and the Made in Kirkintilloch project. Each exhibition drew on local heritage knowledge and interest as a catalyst for exhibition-making. The programme was developed by Fiona Dean working with communities, artists and EDLC staff.