Artful Activism: Lillian Michiko Yano Blakey's Critical Multicultural Approaches to Challenging Anti-Japanese Racism in Canada

Lillian Michiko Yano Blakey (b. 1945, Alberta, Canada) is a third-generation Japanese Canadian artist and a former art educator and education consultant. Her art works not only integrate critical multicultural perspectives but also provide educators with themes and types of art forms that challenge racism and promote a more equitable society. Co-written by Hyunji Kwon and Lillian Michiko Yano Blakey, this study first presents Yano Blakey's biography, intertwining her family story with the history of anti-Japanese racism in Canada. By employing deductive thematic analysis, this study analyzes her art works as embodiments of art education scholar Joni Acuff's critical multicultural art pedagogy. The study also outlines conceptual and practical implications for educators, encouraging them to guide their students in thinking critically and adopting similar approaches in appreciating and creating art.