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Hisako
Hibi

“Art consoles the spirit, and it continues on in timeless time”

– Hisako Hibi

Hisako Shimizu Hibi (1907-1991) was an Issei (first-generation) artist whose work is deeply rooted in and inspired by the San Francisco Bay Area. When she was a teenager, her Japanese family immigrated to the U.S. and settled in California, where she later studied at the California School of Fine Arts and exhibited her work at the San Francisco Art Association. She married her fellow student Matsusaburo Hibi, with whom she moved to Mt. Eden and Hayward. There, they raised their two children, Satoshi and Ibuki, until the family was forced into internment camps in 1942. The publication of her memoir, Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, was accompanied by an exhibition of sixty-three oil paintings at the Japanese American National Museum.

“The house was a happy one with my husband and our two children, Satoshi “Tommy” and Ibuki “Peek-a-boo.” We lived in a little town near San Francisco, and our home had an apricot orchard on one side and a wide stretch of tomato fields on the other. […] The plants grew well here – our new land.”  

The Hibis created a colorful, lively, and happy home by embracing American culture while maintaining their Japanese identity. In Hayward, they found a place to build a home and express themselves culturally and creatively. The garden had a special meaning for them as this was where they grew vegetables and planted many trees, including an apricot orchard that became a central motif of Hibi’s paintings.

Hisako Hibi

A black and white photograph of an elderly Hisako Hibi sitting on the floor of her workshop surrounded by her paintings, holding a paint brush while looking at the camera.

“Art consoles the spirit, and it continues on in timeless time”

– Hisako Hibi

Hisako Shimizu Hibi (1907-1991) was an Issei (first-generation) artist whose work is deeply rooted in and inspired by the San Francisco Bay Area. When she was a teenager, her Japanese family immigrated to the U.S. and settled in California, where she later studied at the California School of Fine Arts and exhibited her work at the San Francisco Art Association. She married her fellow student Matsusaburo Hibi, with whom she moved to Mt. Eden and Hayward. There, they raised their two children, Satoshi and Ibuki, until the family was forced into internment camps in 1942. The publication of her memoir, Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, was accompanied by an exhibition of sixty-three oil paintings at the Japanese American National Museum.
“The house was a happy one with my husband and our two children, Satoshi “Tommy” and Ibuki “Peek-a-boo.” We lived in a little town near San Francisco, and our home had an apricot orchard on one side and a wide stretch of tomato fields on the other. […] The plants grew well here – our new land.”  
The Hibis created a colorful, lively, and happy home by embracing American culture while maintaining their Japanese identity. In Hayward, they found a place to build a home and express themselves culturally and creatively. The garden had a special meaning for them as this was where they grew vegetables and planted many trees, including an apricot orchard that became a central motif of Hibi’s paintings.

Apricot Trees Along Jackson Street

The 1940 oil painting “Apricot Trees along Jackson Street” represents Hisako Hibi’s perception of home as the trees’ roots are deeply established in one culture and the branches reach another. The colorful roofs of some of the houses on Jackson Street tower above the densely packed treetops, with earth-colored hills rising behind them. It seems to be a cloudy spring morning with a peaceful atmosphere captured by warm, muted colors.

Apricot Trees Along Jackson Street

The 1940 oil painting “Apricot Trees along Jackson Street” represents Hisako Hibi’s perception of home as the trees’ roots are deeply established in one culture and the branches reach another. The colorful roofs of some of the houses on Jackson Street tower above the densely packed treetops, with earth-colored hills rising behind them. It seems to be a cloudy spring morning with a peaceful atmosphere captured by warm, muted colors.

Spring #2

Spring was an ambiguous yet present theme in Hibi’s life. On the one hand, it was a favorite subject she returned to throughout her painting career. On the other hand, it was spring when her family was taken away from their home in Hayward as a consequence of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This event intensified anti-Japanese sentiments in the U.S. and eventually led to policies of mass detention of the Japanese-descended population. The painting depicts white-painted houses in Hayward surrounded by lush meadows and flowering trees. In between the buildings, a path leads the viewer towards wooded hills that form the background of the painting. The lush green of the plant world and the bright white of the house walls and flowers are framed by a gray cloudy sky.

Spring #2

Spring was an ambiguous yet present theme in Hibi’s life. On the one hand, it was a favorite subject she returned to throughout her painting career. On the other hand, it was spring when her family was taken away from their home in Hayward as a consequence of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. This event intensified anti-Japanese sentiments in the U.S. and eventually led to policies of mass detention of the Japanese-descended population. The painting depicts white-painted houses in Hayward surrounded by lush meadows and flowering trees. In between the buildings, a path leads the viewer towards wooded hills that form the background of the painting. The lush green of the plant world and the bright white of the house walls and flowers are framed by a gray cloudy sky.
“Spring comes after winter; peace comes after war. There are always things to do, whether it is winter or spring. Place your trust in heaven in doing today’s work. It is a happier, healthier way of life. We’ll all go back home when the war ends.”

Even with the threat of imminent internment, Hisako Hibi and her family did not stop caring for their home. This fact testifies to her closeness to nature and rootedness in Hayward, which are reflected in her art. This painting, depicts Hayward in lighter, less vibrant colors. It depicts a man in a straw hat cultivating a field surrounded by chickens and blooming trees at the foot of a hill. In the distance, birds pass over vast fields and lonesome houses.

“Spring comes after winter; peace comes after war. There are always things to do, whether it is winter or spring. Place your trust in heaven in doing today’s work. It is a happier, healthier way of life. We’ll all go back home when the war ends.”

Even with the threat of imminent internment, Hisako Hibi and her family did not stop caring for their home. This fact testifies to her closeness to nature and rootedness in Hayward, which are reflected in her art. This painting, depicts Hayward in lighter, less vibrant colors. It depicts a man in a straw hat cultivating a field surrounded by chickens and blooming trees at the foot of a hill. In the distance, birds pass over vast fields and lonesome houses.

Internment

A yellowed poster entitled "Instructions to all persons of Japanese Ancestry". It includes instructions for the forced "evacuation" of Japanese families living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Image: Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Lot#261 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster. Lot Detail – 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster — For Japanese Residents of San Francisco (natedsanders.com)

With the prospect of eventually returning, the Hibi family distributed a portion of their paintings to local hospitals, schools, clubs, and libraries before their internment. This act of sharing enabled the Hibi’s to safeguard a portion of their art while showing their appreciation of the Bay Area and the friendships they had made. Although the Hibi’s would soon be gone, a part of them would remain here in Hayward.

Internment

A yellowed poster entitled "Instructions to all persons of Japanese Ancestry". It includes instructions for the forced "evacuation" of Japanese families living in the San Francisco Bay Area.

With the prospect of eventually returning, the Hibi family distributed a portion of their paintings to local hospitals, schools, clubs, and libraries before their internment. This act of sharing enabled the Hibi’s to safeguard a portion of their art while showing their appreciation of the Bay Area and the friendships they had made. Although the Hibi’s would soon be gone, a part of them would remain here in Hayward.

Image: Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Lot#261 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster.
Lot Detail – 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster — For Japanese Residents of San Francisco (natedsanders.com)

A black and white photo by Dorothea Lange title: “Hisako and Ibuki Hibi with doll awaiting the bus to Tanforan,”

Image: Dorothea Lange, “Hisako and Ibuki Hibi with doll awaiting the bus to Tanforan,” Photograph, May 9, 1942, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 13, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

“May 8, 1942, evacuation day, was a beautiful spring day. Matsusaburo was up early and watered the vegetable garden, flowers, and trees around the house we rented for ten dollars per month. The hummingbirds were hovering over the honeysuckle vines around the front porch. The dark pink peach tree was in full bloom because it was the time of Tango-no-sekku, Boys’ Day. The new bamboo shoots were pointing straight up toward the sun. With its tender, new leaves and sparrows on its branches, the old oak tree seemed to be at peace, saying goodbye to the family.” 
“The man, a stranger, priced the items of furniture himself. He gave me twenty-five dollars for the piano, five dollars for a living room rug, and so on. Helplessly, the family watched the truck speed away.” 
Due to the uncertainty of not knowing if or when the Japanese Americans would return, individuals sold most of their possessions before their departure, often at bargain prices. When the day of evacuation came, men, women, and children could only take what they could carry, including bedding and linens, toiletries, clothing, cooking utensils, and essential personal effects.

“May 8, 1942, evacuation day, was a beautiful spring day. Matsusaburo was up early and watered the vegetable garden, flowers, and trees around the house we rented for ten dollars per month. The hummingbirds were hovering over the honeysuckle vines around the front porch. The dark pink peach tree was in full bloom because it was the time of Tango-no-sekku, Boys’ Day. The new bamboo shoots were pointing straight up toward the sun. With its tender, new leaves and sparrows on its branches, the old oak tree seemed to be at peace, saying goodbye to the family.”

“The man, a stranger, priced the items of furniture himself. He gave me twenty-five dollars for the piano, five dollars for a living room rug, and so on. Helplessly, the family watched the truck speed away.”

Due to the uncertainty of not knowing if or when the Japanese Americans would return, individuals sold most of their possessions before their departure, often at bargain prices. When the day of evacuation came, men, women, and children could only take what they could carry, including bedding and linens, toiletries, clothing, cooking utensils, and essential personal effects.

A black and white photo by Dorothea Lange title: “Hisako and Ibuki Hibi with doll awaiting the bus to Tanforan,”

Image: Dorothea Lange, “Hisako and Ibuki Hibi with doll awaiting the bus to Tanforan,” Photograph, May 9, 1942, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 13, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

A 1943 map of the San Francisco Bay Are on yellowed paper entitled: “State of California, Northern California coast, San Francisco to Fort Bragg prohibited or restricted zones,”. It shows "restricted zones" for Japanese Americans highlighted in red
Map, “State of California, Northern California coast, San Francisco to Fort Bragg prohibited or restricted zones,” 29th Engineer Reproduction Plant, 1943. San Jose State University Department of Special Collections and Archives

The map shows restriction zones for Japanese Americans in the Northern California coast area from San Francisco to Fort Bragg (including parts of Fort Bragg, Mendocino, the Botega Bay region, San Francisco, and Oakland).

“Although unbelievable today, it did happen in San Francisco, in Oakland, in towns near the beaches, in the villages between the valleys, and all along the Pacific Coast from the state of Washington down to California and to parts of Arizona in 1942. Japanese were uprooted from their homes. Yesterday’s friends were today’s enemies. The air of alienation and hostility was felt everywhere.”
A 1943 map of the San Francisco Bay Are on yellowed paper entitled: “State of California, Northern California coast, San Francisco to Fort Bragg prohibited or restricted zones,”. It shows "restricted zones" for Japanese Americans highlighted in red

The map shows restriction zones for Japanese Americans in the Northern California coast area from San Francisco to Fort Bragg (including parts of Fort Bragg, Mendocino, the Botega Bay region, San Francisco, and Oakland).

“Although unbelievable today, it did happen in San Francisco, in Oakland, in towns near the beaches, in the villages between the valleys, and all along the Pacific Coast from the state of Washington down to California and to parts of Arizona in 1942. Japanese were uprooted from their homes. Yesterday’s friends were today’s enemies. The air of alienation and hostility was felt everywhere.”

Map, “State of California, Northern California coast, San Francisco to Fort Bragg prohibited or restricted zones,” 29th Engineer Reproduction Plant, 1943. San Jose State University Department of Special Collections and Archives

Gallery

Click on an image to expand and start the slide show.
A painting entitled "Barrack 9" by Hisako Hibi. The canvas is framed with a modest wooden frame. It depicts a lone figure against a backdrop of grey barracks, with green hills in the background.

Barrack 9, Apt. 6

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A black and white photograph of Hisako Hibi in the process of creating her painting entitled "Barrack 9"

Photograph of Hisako painting Barrack 9, Apt.

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A painting titled "clouds", by Hisako Hibi. The canvas is framed with a modest wooden frame. It depicts a cloudy sky over the slanted roofs of two large buildings.

Floating Clouds

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A painting by Hisako Hibi depicting Hayward. A man in a straw hat works the land surrounded by green trees against a backdrop of rolling green hills.

Hayward Farmer

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A painting entitled "Barrack 9" by Hisako Hibi. The canvas is framed with a modest wooden frame. It depicts a lone figure against a backdrop of grey barracks, with green hills in the background.

Barrack 9, Apt. 6

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A black and white photograph of Hisako Hibi in the process of creating her painting entitled "Barrack 9"

Photograph of Hisako painting Barrack 9, Apt.

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A painting titled "clouds", by Hisako Hibi. The canvas is framed with a modest wooden frame. It depicts a cloudy sky over the slanted roofs of two large buildings.

Floating Clouds

Read More
A painting by Hisako Hibi depicting Hayward. A man in a straw hat works the land surrounded by green trees against a backdrop of rolling green hills.

Hayward Farmer

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Catalog for an art exhibition at the Topaz Art School, at the Topaz Relocation Center where people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during WWII. The catalog is green, but faded and stamped with a print of a spider in a web and the text: Art Exhibition / Topaz Art School / June 14th to 19th / 1945.
Front cover of catalogue for Topaz Art School exhibition, June 14–19, 1945. Hisako Hibi and Matsusaburo “George” Hibi Papers.

During the Hibi’s incarceration at Tanforan and Topaz, they helped organize and operate an art school for all ages with the assistance of other Japanese artists and prisoners. Although incarcerated, art exhibitions were held displaying various types of artwork. The Hibis’ contributed their pieces alongside their students.

Catalog for an art exhibition at the Topaz Art School, at the Topaz Relocation Center where people of Japanese descent were incarcerated during WWII. The catalog is green, but faded and stamped with a print of a spider in a web and the text: Art Exhibition / Topaz Art School / June 14th to 19th / 1945.
During the Hibi’s incarceration at Tanforan and Topaz, they helped organize and operate an art school for all ages with the assistance of other Japanese artists and prisoners. Although incarcerated, art exhibitions were held displaying various types of artwork. The Hibis contributed their pieces alongside their students.
Front cover of catalogue for Topaz Art School exhibition, June 14–19, 1945. Hisako Hibi and Matsusaburo “George” Hibi Papers.
Five members of the Hibi family pose for a black and white photograph.

Matsusaburo Hibi recited traditional philosophy to his children to give them courage as they were transferred between incarceration camps, Tanforan Detention Center in San Bruno, California, and Topaz Relocation Center in Utah. Men, women, and children alike were housed in barracks, some still under construction, often without a roof and lacking mattresses or other basic facilities. These prisoners were cut off from the outside world.

Upon the Hibi family’s release from Topaz in 1945, they moved to New York City, hoping for a new start. Unfortunately, Matsusaburo passed from cancer within two years of their release, leaving Hisako and her children to carry on without him.

During the mid-1950s, after earning her U.S. citizenship, the family returned to the Bay Area. They settled in San Francisco, where Hisako grew as an artist and produced pieces displayed in museums and art galleries. Although Hisako did not re-establish her roots in Hayward, the city remained a place she would always consider home, where her family was once whole and happy.

Five members of the Hibi family pose for a black and white photograph.

Matsusaburo Hibi recited traditional philosophy to his children to give them courage as they were transferred between incarceration camps, Tanforan Detention Center in San Bruno, California, and Topaz Relocation Center in Utah. Men, women, and children alike were housed in barracks, some still under construction, often without a roof and lacking mattresses or other basic facilities. These prisoners were cut off from the outside world.

Upon the Hibi family’s release from Topaz in 1945, they moved to New York City, hoping for a new start. Unfortunately, Matsusaburo passed from cancer within two years of their release, leaving Hisako and her children to carry on without him.

During the mid-1950s, after earning her U.S. citizenship, the family returned to the Bay Area. They settled in San Francisco, where Hisako grew as an artist and produced pieces displayed in museums and art galleries. Although Hisako did not re-establish her roots in Hayward, the city remained a place she would always consider home, where her family was once whole and happy.

Four Seasons

Four Seasons is a metaphor for transition, change, loss, renewal, and the Hibi family’s journey. Upon the Hibi family’s release from Topaz in 1945, they moved to New York City, hoping for a new start. Unfortunately, Matsusaburo passed from cancer within two years of their release, leaving Hisako and her children to carry on without him.

During the mid-1950s, after earning her U.S. citizenship, the family returned to the Bay Area. They settled in San Francisco, where Hisako grew as an artist and produced pieces displayed in museums and art galleries. Although Hisako did not re-establish her roots in Hayward, the city remained a place she would always consider home, where her family was once whole and happy.

“Now I felt reborn in the natural beauty of the Bay Area, where I had gone to school and married. I have two children and five grandchildren. Time heals wounds.”

Four Seasons

Four Seasons is a metaphor for transition, change, loss, renewal, and the Hibi family’s journey. Upon the Hibi family’s release from Topaz in 1945, they moved to New York City, hoping for a new start. Unfortunately, Matsusaburo passed from cancer within two years of their release, leaving Hisako and her children to carry on without him.

During the mid-1950s, after earning her U.S. citizenship, the family returned to the Bay Area. They settled in San Francisco, where Hisako grew as an artist and produced pieces displayed in museums and art galleries. Although Hisako did not re-establish her roots in Hayward, the city remained a place she would always consider home, where her family was once whole and happy.

“Now I felt reborn in the natural beauty of the Bay Area, where I had gone to school and married. I have two children and five grandchildren. Time heals wounds.”

Additional Resources

For additional information regarding the lives and artwork of Hisako and “George” Matsusaburo Hibi, click the links below.

Citation – DeWitt, John L. Final Report – Japanese Evacuation from the West Coast. Photographic Figure 122, circa 1942. Published 1943, pp. 495. United States Army, Western Defense Command, 4th Division. Washington D.C.: U.S. Government Printing. Accessed February 17, 2024, from Final report, Japanese evacuation from the West Coast, 1942 – Digital Collections – National Library of Medicine (nih.gov)

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Citation – Hibi, Hisako. Barrack 9, Apt. 6, San Bruno, CA. Oil on canvas. 1942. Japanese American National Museum. Accessed on February 17, 2024, from Barrack 9, Apt. 6, San Bruno, CA – Works – Hisako Hibi Collection – Featured Collections – Japanese American National Museum (emuseum.com)

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Citation – Hibi, Hisako. Floating Clouds. Oil on canvas. 1944. Accessed on February 17, 2024, from Historic New Acquisitions by Two Trailblazing Japanese American Painters | Smithsonian American Art Museum

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Citation – Hibi, Hisako and Matsusaburo “George” Hibi papers, circa 1906-2022. “Art Exhibition Topaz Art School June 14th and 19th 1945. Photo of paper document. Accessed on February 17, 2024, from A Finding Aid to the Hisako Hibi and Matsusaburo “George” Hibi papers, circa 1906-2022 | Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution (si.edu)

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Citation – Nate D. Sanders Auctions. Lot#261 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster. Accessed on February 17, 2024, from Lot Detail – 1942 WWII Japanese Evacuation Poster — For Japanese Residents of San Francisco (natedsanders.com)

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Citation – Ukai, Nancy. “Ibuki’s Doll, Silent Witness.” n.d. Funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Japanese American Confinement Sites Program. Accessed on February 17, 2024, from Ibuki’s Doll – 50 Objects

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Citations

1 Portrait of Hisako Hibi, Photograph, 1985, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 38, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

2 Hisako Hibi, “Apricot Trees along Jackson Street,” Oil on Canvas, circa 1940, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 42, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

3 Hisako Hibi, “Spring #2, Hayward”, Oil on Canvas, 1949, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 42, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

4 Dorothea Lange, “Hisako and Ibuki Hibi with doll awaiting the bus to Tanforan,” Photograph, May 9, 1942, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 13, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.

5 Painting of Hayward Farmer – Hisako Hibi, Oil on Canvas, circa 1940, Hayward Area Historical Society.

6 Map, “State of California, Northern California coast, San Francisco to Fort Bragg prohibited or restricted zones,” 29th Engineer Reproduction Plant, 1943. San Jose State University Department of Special Collections and Archives

7 Hisako Hibi, “Four Seasons,” Oil on Canvas, 1983, Hayward Area Historical Society Archives, In Peaceful Painter: Memoirs of an Issei Woman Artist, by Ibuki Hibi Lee, Page 63, Berkeley, CA: Heyday Books, 2004.