Natalie Maya Willer

Photographer

Natalie was born in Munich, Germany to a Japanese mother and German father. She completed her primary and secondary education in Munich which was accompanied by attending Japanese school on Saturdays. Throughout her childhood Natalie has travelled to Japan on numerous occasions. She moved to London in 1997 where she studied photography at the University of Westminster and completed an MA in Communication Art & Design at the Royal College of Art in 2004.

Natalie's current art practice deals with the subjects of cultural diversity and mixed ethnic heritage. Being half Japanese and half German, she likes to look into issues surrounding identity and appearance, exoticism and orientalism. Her fascination with this subject mainly stems from her own experience and frustration of being very fair, almost blonde half Japanese who has never been instantly recognised as half Japanese. Yet she has found it very easy to spot other fellow half Japanese people and thinks that there is definitely a ‘'half Japanese look' which she further explores in her visual work.

Her photographic series of half Japanese people with Marcia's accompanying interviews creates a strong narrative and debate around complex issues within our multicultural society.

Natalie's work has been shown in London galleries. Other people and companies she worked for include the artist Rut Blees Luxembourg, the TV production company Don Productions, the community arts organisation burntprogress as well as the architectural practice Pollard Thomas Edwards architects.

Marcia Yumi Lise

Social Researcher

Marcia was born in a suburban town in Kanagawa, Japan to a Japanese mother and an Italian-American father. Marcia lived in Japan until the age of 19. Having experienced two types of schooling (an international school in Japan: 4-12 years old & Japanese schools: 13-19 years old) and being half Japanese, ethnic identity and the Japanese society were two issues always on the agenda. Marcia travelled a lot between the age of 17 and 19 in an attempt to broaden her mind. Visits included a number of Italian towns and cities where her father's ancestors are originally from.

Marcia moved to London in 2001, aged 19. She decided to study sociology. After successfully graduating univeristy, she embarked on a postgraduate programme at Goldsmiths College in order to master the skills of social research and equip herself with the tools to analyse the phenomena of 'Hafus'. Her research interest lies in the area of race, ethnicity, identity and nationhood. Her most recent qualitative research project explores the relationship between the Japanese racial/cultural/national discourse and the experiences of Hafus who were brought up in Japan.