Governor Mika Yokota and her delegation outside Japanese Gallery Angel, with Islington Mayor Cllr Rosaline Ogunro, council leader Una O’Halloran and, centre, gallery director David Wertheim [Photos: Gary Williams Photography]

THE governor of Hiroshima paid a special visit to a Camden Passage art gallery to view an exhibition commem­or­ating the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese city.

Governor Mika Yokota visited Japanese Gallery Angel last Monday as part of a visit to the UK. The exhibition, From Ashes to Blossoms: A journey of renewal, togetherness and peace, was curated by David Wertheim, who runs the gallery, part of Camden Passage since Mr Wertheim’s mother founded it in 1978.

His grandmother, at age 20, was just 1.2 kilometres from where the bomb dropped and “shouldn’t have survived” as the area she was in suffered a 75 per cent mortality rate.

“I say to people, ‘If the bomb dropped on Buckingham Palace, she was in Trafalgar Square’,” Mr Wertheim said. “It makes it a lot more tangible. The fact that I’m here is a miracle, the fact that you’re seeing me and hearing my voice, this really shouldn’t be happening with what happened that day.”

The exhibition combines fine art, needlework, historical records, news reports and artefacts related to the bombing which destroyed most of Hiroshima and killed more than 100,000 in the final days of the Second World War.

Governor Mika Yokota meets Islington Mayor Cllr Rosaline Ogunro

On display are several handwritten letters from crew members flying US bomber Enola Gay that day, paintings created by Yoshida Kenji, a kamikaze conscript whose life was ironically spared by the bomb which brought about the end of the war.

At a reception held in the exhibition space, Ms Yokota and Islington’s council leader Una O’Halloran spoke of hope for an enduring friendship between the borough and the Japanese city.

Mr Wertheim told the Tribune the curation process was “very organic”, adding: “With a lot of things in life, you follow your heart, and I just felt impelled.”

He said the exhibition, which includes new artwork from students of Brighton University and the Royal School of Needlework, aims to foster a type of remembrance which can keep the lessons of history be applied to the present.

Alongside Hiroshima’s governor and her delegation, Islington mayor Cllr Rosaline Ogunro, Cllr O’Halloran and inclusive economy and planning chief Cllr James Potts attended. Representatives from Capital City College Group, the University of Westminster and the Royal School of Needlework were also present.

“I think what’s difficult is when an event goes further and further into the past, it feels less relevant,” Mr Wertheim said.

“Let’s take an extreme example – the Bayeux Tapestry is going on display at the British Museum, celebrating this tapestry that’s coming back after 1,000 years, which was an incredible thing.

“But do we think about the men that died, who fought in the war? The focus is more about the tapestry, less about the thousands of men that have died.”

“Remembrance can’t just be remembrance,” he added. “It’s got to be that next step from remembrance.”

Mr Wertheim explained how bringing in art from various artists and historical artefacts from British, American and Japanese points of view helps the exhibition deliver a universal message of peace.

“There is a very universal way people are able to connect with it, even if they’re not from Hiroshima, not from Japan,” he said.

Mr Wertheim said he hopes that exhibitions like his own can help bridge cultural gaps to help humanity build a more peaceful future.

“There is a misunderstanding. People feel that Hiroshima has this anger and hatred, on a nation-based level. The angst isn’t against a whole nation, the whole world was at war.

“What the angst is is that, look, we’re still carrying nuclear weapons. We’re still seeing wars happening around the world. It’s amazing how many people think Hiroshima isn’t worth visiting because there’s nothing there.

“Some people say, ‘are there areas that are still flattened?’, but it’s a completely rebuilt city.

“It’s an amazing place that showcases the power of people coming together and rebuilding an entire city.”