I talked with the team, made up of the eponymous Toshiro and Leks Kamihira, brothers and artists (embroidery and fabrication, respectively), and Alyssa Piro, an organizer and curator. Due to the pandemic, Kamihira has had to transition from a physical storefront to a more amorphous but nonetheless proactive collective. The members spend their time planning events around the city and continuing to support the local art scene at large.
Kamihira, An ever-evolving art collective and studio
Words: Kit Zauhar
Photos: UV Lucas
KZ
At this point Kamihira has been through a few iterations and has evolved. What would you describe it as right now? Is it a project, or a journey?
All three laugh.
Tosh
Journey, yeah. We’re a collective at this point.
Leks
At the moment, we’re in flux. When the pandemic hit we took a direction that wasn’t necessarily planned, but was pretty interesting. A lot of life stuff happened. Right now we’re really trying to figure out what is the next step. What it’ll look like a year from now, five years from now.
KZ
I’m from Philly and then I moved to New York for school and have been here ever since. I still have a strong love and affinity for Philly’s art scene. What do you think makes Philly Philly?
T
Affordability. And I think there’s a focus on craftsmanship here. Art labor.
L
Like being able to design something and then also being the person to do it. That comes from the DIY aesthetic to Philly. I think now the aesthetic is getting tighter, cleaner, less rough around the edges, which was critical to what the Philadelphia art scene was before, from my perspective as a teenager growing up in it. (To Alyssa) As a little bit of an outsider, what do you think?
A
That pretty much covered it. It also feels very small at times. If you don’t know someone you know someone who knows them.
T
Tight-knit.
A
Everyone shows up for everyone else’s stuff.
KZ
I’d agree. I feel like growing up I saw the last vestiges of the house show scene in West Philly, a lot of the art galleries in people’s apartments and shared spaces. It does feel like it’s changing a bit. Where do you think are some of the places or people that have held onto that DIY spirit?
L
Ulises. They’re really clean-cut and sharp but it’s really just run by people who are very dedicated to it.
A
Pressure Club. Also Fortune.
L
What I think is interesting about a lot of the places and artists in Philly is the multidisciplinary aspect, which makes it kind of difficult to track what everybody’s doing, because they’re all doing more than one thing. A lot of the people who are running spaces or larger scale projects also have side projects that are almost completely unrelated.
T
That whole Port Richmond corridor. That stretch seemingly has a developer who is leasing out affordable spaces to whatever cool weirdo wants to do something cool and weird. Scott Cooper who curates the shows at Launderette, definitely doing a good job. They do monthly events and definitely keep the energy going.
KZ
And what are some places you go to get inspiration, focus, or exercise a creative muscle?
T
The back room of my dad’s workshop is where I get creative.
L
I spend a lot of time outdoors. Going to Fairmount Park and The Wissahickon.
A
I’ve been to the Mercer Museum twice this year.
KZ
If someone only had twenty four hours in Philly what would you recommend they do?
T
The Barnes.
L
We still go to Bartram Gardens. YOWIE, of course. Really awesome gift shop or just gifts for yourself.
A
I really like going to Retrospect on South Street.
L
If you’re here on the right day there are a hundred things to do.
T
Eats lots of food.
L
Eat lots of good.
A
Blue Corn!
L
Check out that whole strip of the Italian/Mexican Market.
KZ
Are there any artists that you’re excited about and want to give a shout-out to?
A
Julia Policastro, who is a painter. Joyce Moseley who is an artist of all mediums. She makes amazing drawings, ceramics, and makes ten pieces of artwork a day. She’s great.
L
Our friends on Richmond St, Tshatshke Jewelry, which is run by Madison Hirsch. She does really cool stuff and reminds me that jewelry is cool. Because for a while I thought the market was weird, but when it’s art, it can be amazing. I probably have bought more jewelry this past year than I ever have before.
A
Shout out to Pet Riso, a risograph studio in the Bok Building and the two artists who run it, Ben Kraemer and Claire Cooke. They’re great artists in their own practices as well.
KZ
I know you guys are in a place of flux, but do you have anything coming up? Plans for the future?
T
We’re looking to get some studio spaces and plan some events again. In 6 months I could answer the question a lot better.
KZ
Where can people stay in touch with you? Instagram?
L
Yep, everything we do we’ll mention there, and we always respond to messages.
About Kit: Kit Zauhar is a writer, filmmaker, and actress from Philly. She currently lives in NYC. You can find out more about her life and work at kitzauhar.com
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