Latest news with #Iwasaki
West Australian
02-07-2025
- Health
- West Australian
Chance Flowers: Perth boy's battle with Strep A prompts push from The Kids Research Institute for vaccine
Perth researchers are pioneering a world-first study in the battle against a deadly bacterium. Strep A kills half a million people a year globally, but can often be hard to diagnose. A study using tonsils collected from surgery at Perth Children's Hospital will help scientists learn more about it as they work to develop a vaccine. Seven-year-old Chance Flowers is no stranger to tonsillitis. Three years ago, it quickly spiralled into something more sinister. 'It started off as a fever and vomiting that came on very suddenly . . . (but) in the 15 minutes from leaving school and getting to work, he was limp in the back of the car,' mum Jodie Flowers said. Chance's little body was in the grip a deadly infection. Sepsis had settled into his joints. 'It was just like painful, painful, painful,' he said. Ms Flowers said it was missed by two separate doctors. 'His symptoms were really frightening at that point . . . he couldn't stand, he couldn't walk, he was in excruciating pain,' she said. 'They were saying it's normal — it's just a virus, but he was extremely unwell.' His life-threatening symptoms were far from normal, they were being caused by invasive Strep A. The little boy spent two weeks at Perth Children's Hospital and needed surgery. 'Then he spent the rest of the year learning how to walk again,' Ms Flowers said. Jua Iwasaki is part of a team at The Kids Research Institute Australia hoping to stop the sinister bacterial infection in its tracks. 'Strep A is a really common childhood infection,' Dr Iwasaki said. 'It usually causes more mild symptoms . . . but in some children it can lead to these severe illnesses.' When severe, these infections can cause death in a matter of days, sometimes hours. It was the case for seven-year-old Morley girl, Aishwarya Aswath in 2021. Half a million people die from Strep A infections around the world each year. There's no vaccine. But researchers at The Kids Institute are studying real tonsils from surgeries to understand how the bacterium binds to them. 'We're growing them in the lab to be able to test the immune response to the bacteria Strep A and the vaccines we're currently developing,' Dr Iwasaki said. Researchers hope this work won't just lead to a vaccine but to a version tailored for children, like a spray, that's safe, effective, and easy to deliver. 'We might be able to prevent the bacteria from attaching to the tonsils in the first place because all the vaccines that are in development are all injectables,' Dr Iwasaki said. Ms Flowers is hopeful about the 'amazing' research. 'Anything that could stop someone having to go through what Chance went through is incredible,' she said.
Winnipeg Free Press
14-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Idyllic impermanence
WHAT IT IS: Titled The Songs of Neocaridina and I've Got So Much to Tell You, these paired works by Winnipeg artist Takashi Iwasaki are hand-embroidered with cotton thread on black twill fabric. Vivid, vibrant, exuberant, they are part of Halcyon / Kawasemi, a two-person show now on view at Plug In ICA, featuring art by Iwasaki and Joe Kalturnyk. WHAT IT'S ABOUT: The exhibition's double title references a bird — a kingfisher — that appears in both a Japanese folk tale and a Greek metamorphosis myth. The bird was thought to lay its eggs during a brief winter stretch when the ocean's waters were calm, so that the phrase 'halcyon days' has come to suggest a time of peace and contentment. Born in Hokkaido, Japan, Iwasaki has been living and working in Winnipeg since 2002, when he came here to study at the University of Manitoba's School of Art. The 42-year-old artist's practice includes embroidery, painting, collage, woodworking, ceramics and large-scale public art — he collaborated with Nadi Group on that joyful light installation at the Kildonan Park duck pond — but whatever the medium, Iwasaki's art radiates beauty and happiness. Iwasaki's works in this show riff on sea creatures and birds, fruits and seeds, elephants and aliens. The Songs of Neocaridina and I've Got So Much to Tell You could be classified as biomorphic abstraction. Their rounded, organic shapes and crowded, multicoloured dynamism suggest not just individual life-forms — neocaridina is a type of shrimp — but the primal force of life itself, always reaching, growing, transforming. With their wandering lines and bright, pop art-inflected hues, the two works might read at first as spontaneous explosions of energy. But Iwasaki's needlework process is actually slow, methodical and painstaking, which makes for an interesting kind of tension. WHY IT MATTERS: There's another tension in these two pieces and in the show as a whole. The phrase 'halcyon days' suggests a time of perfect happiness, but there's also the melancholy implication that this moment is brief and passing, a temporary calm in a larger sea of tumult and trouble. We are living in times of tumult and trouble, and this is a halcyon show, a happy, cheerful, playful mood-booster, a jolt of pure emotional and physical pleasure. This includes not just Takashi's work but the interactive and immersive installation by Kalturnyk, which references the kingfisher's search for light in the Japanese tale but also — with its trippy use of colour and luminosity — seems to call up Lite-Brite toys, black-light posters in teenage bedrooms and glow-stick dance parties. Monthly What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing. While this exhibition is packed with wonder and delight and out-and-out gorgeousness, it shouldn't be dismissed as escapism. (Respite, yes. Escapism, no.) There have been periods when art theorists have frowned on beauty, seeing it as serving the social status quo, papering over ugly realities, lulling viewers into easy complacency. Lately, though, many artists and critics have advocated for the radical power of joy and beauty, seeing them as tools for community, connection and transformative creativity. If you want to work toward a better world, you have to be able to imagine it, and that's what Iwasaki's art offers — a sudden, dizzying glimpse of human happiness. Alison GillmorWriter Studying at the University of Winnipeg and later Toronto's York University, Alison Gillmor planned to become an art historian. She ended up catching the journalism bug when she started as visual arts reviewer at the Winnipeg Free Press in 1992. Read full biography Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Playful creations conjured by friends on either side of studio wall
For more than a month, visual artist Takashi Iwasaki and artist/designer Joseph Kalturnyk worked on their joint exhibition Halcyon / Kawasemi together, but apart. In the galleries at Plug In Institute of Contemporary Art, the longtime friends and Nuit Blanche collaborators created art in their own spaces, knowing the other was just on the other side of the wall. 'It was really fun,' says Kalturnyk, who is the founder of RAW: Gallery of Architecture and Design and the designer behind the RAW:almond pop-up restaurants. PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Joseph Kalturnyk's installation, Kawasemi, gives one the sensation that they are inside one of Takashi Iwasaki's Halcyon works. 'While Takashi's bending the wood and making his piece over there, I was in here, and I could say, 'Hey, check this out — what do you think?' It's like having a studio partner.' Iwasaki says he appreciated being able to draw on Kalturnyk's skill set, which is different from his own. 'He's got this architectural background, he was a contractor in the past, so he has lots of skills in building things and certain manoeuvres that I can't come up with,' says Iwasaki, who was born in Japan and moved to Winnipeg in 2002 and earned a BFA at the University of Manitoba. 'So when I ask questions, it's instant for him, and maybe vice versa in some instances.' But despite being created independently, both sides of the exhibition sit in conversation with each other. Halcyon is a retrospective of Iwasaki's art, with works from as early as 2005. His practice spans artistic mediums — oil paint, sculpture, embroidery, woodworking and ceramics — but the pieces that compose this exhibition are all united by two things: bold, riotous colour and a sense of play. MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Takashi Iwasaki (right) and Joseph Kalturnyk checked in on each other while creating. 'I like things that are uplifting for myself and for the viewers, too. And organic shapes, biomorphic shapes rather than rectangles,' Iwasaki says. Indeed, the only square or rectangle you'll encounter in Iwasaki's work is the frame. 'I like the idea of organic shapes. I think that's something I really feel connected to, and probably it's the same for a lot of people. And sometimes it's also technical too. (Organic shapes) are technically challenging. Straight lines are easy to make,' he says. He references the famous quote from renowned 19th-century architect Antoni Gaudi: 'The straight line belongs to men, the curved one to God.' 'I don't maybe use the same connection, but I feel something closer to that,' he says. PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Despite being created independently, works by Takashi Iwasaki and Joseph Kalturnyk sit in conversation with each other. Iwasaki's sense of humour is everywhere. There is a curvy, free-standing sculpture painted in ocean blues he simply calls Floor Lamp since, very technically speaking, that's what it is. But it also looks like it could be found growing in a coral reef. He's not a landscape artist in the traditional sense, but his works look like landscapes you might find in the clouds, in outer space, under the sea or under a microscope. There's a liminal, floating quality to them. But he's also full of surprises, such as the large-scale lattice screens created using traditional Japanese woodworking methods. Those pieces are almost the inverse of the others: clean, grid-like lines, but they are framed out in ovals. The embroidered works are the most whimsical. Iwasaki picked up embroidery in art school and stuck with it — not only for its meditative qualities but the fact that, unlike paint, thread is already dry. Embroidery is also easy to pick up and put down as well as being incredibly portable, attractive qualities when, like Iwasaki, you have two young kids vying for your attention. PHOTOS BY MIKE DEAL / FREE PRESS Artist Takashi Iwasaki (right) and artist/designer Joseph Kalturnyk are longtime friends and Nuit Blanche collaborators. Through neon-hued embroidery floss, Iwasaki can transform a mundane scene into abstract art. His 2009 embroidered work Haremeazorekenoboushi, for example, was inspired by a pal navigating a cold day. 'A friend of mine came with a ponytail. She had a fur hat and skinny jeans, and it was winter, and her one ear was red, but the other was blue. This is her teary eye,' he says, pointing to what looks like a small bird. Each of these elements exists separately from each other in black negative space. The ponytail looks like a tentacled figure, or the nipped-waist of a parka-clad woman wearing one red mitt and one blue one. The skinny jeans appear as bright turquoise slashes, extending upwards from a mint green eye with a pool of swimming-pool blue tears about to spill over a hot-pink lid. 'The colours are not realistic,' Iwasaki deadpans. Kalturnyk's installation Kawasemi gives one the sensation that they are inside one of Iwasaki's works. 'I felt like it would be really, really amazing to see one of his little figures in three dimensions, kind of floating in midair,' Kalturnyk says. And so, using UV light and little tabs of neon fluorescent tape, Kalturnyk created a three-dimensional shape suspended on a rotating spool of cords inspired by a Japanese folk tale about a Kawasemi (or Kingfisher) bird. For the designer, creating Kawasemi offered him a chance to use a different part of his brain. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'I don't get to spend a lot of time in that (space). Most of the time, you come up with the concept, and you spend a bit of time refining it, and then the rest is just running around to get it done.' The installation was intended to be spun by hand. Here, it revolves on its own and can be viewed from the street. 'We adapted it for this show to be motorized, so that at night we can open up the curtains and it's a show for the cars,' Kalturnyk says. You can't take the public art out of the public artist. Halcyon / Kawasemi is on view until late July. Jen ZorattiColumnist Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen. Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Japan Forward
26-04-2025
- Japan Forward
Azaleas in Rikugien: A Beautiful Tokyo Alternative Without the Crowds
Now is the best time for viewing azaleas ( tsutsuji) in Tokyo and the surrounding Kanto Plain. There are many celebrated venues in Tokyo of which Nezu Shrine is probably the most famous. But, with fame comes crowds. Even during the period when pandemic restrictions all but eliminated foreign tourists, the Nezu Shrine became extremely crowded when the azaleas were at their best. A hill covered in azaleas. (©JAPAN Forward) Fortunately, there are alternatives that give a highly pleasurable viewing experience without extreme crowding, even now with "overtourism" as a major issue. Of these other venues, my favorite is Rikugien. I count myself very fortunate that this formal Japanese garden is an easy walking distance from my home office. Pond in Rikugien. (©JAPAN Forward) Created in 1702 at the behest of a daimyo (feudal lord), it later became the second residence of Iwasaki Yataro (1835–1885), founder of the Mitsubishi conglomerate. In 1938 the Iwasaki family donated it to Tokyo. Close-ups of azaleas in the garden. (©JAPAN Forward) Rikugien admission is ¥300 JPY (about $2 USD) for adults, discounted to ¥150 for those over 65. A joint ticket that gives admission to Kyu-Furukawa Gardens (walking distance) is available at ¥400 for general admission and ¥200 for those over 65. Western-style mansion designed by architect Josiah Conder at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. (©JAPAN Forward) A path lined with azaleas at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens. (©JAPAN Forward) Rikugien is open 9 AM–5 PM year round except for December 29 to January 1. The main entrance is a seven-minute walk from Komagome Station (JR Yamanote Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line). The garden has limited wheelchair access. The Accessible Japan website provides further details. Panoramic view of the pond. (©JAPAN Forward) The grassy areas are off-limits and there is no provision for picnics. Food can, however, be brought in and consumed wherever there are benches. A dedicated shop has tea and traditional Japanese confections. There is also a snack shop with bench seating. Both offer good views of the pond. The central pond reflects the surrounding nature. (©JAPAN Forward) Until I retired from teaching and started writing articles about things to see in Japan, I thought of azaleas as a former resident of northern California. They are planted along Interstate 80 between San Francisco and Davis, chosen for their bright red color and ability to withstand a hostile environment. Visitors enjoying the view. (©JAPAN Forward) I know now they come in colors other than bright red. They also make a major contribution to the pleasures of spring in Japan, not just in parks and formal gardens, but also as a common planting in residential neighborhoods. Visitors walking among the flowers. (©JAPAN Forward) Rikugien is, in addition to its azaleas, a top-tier venue for sakura and autumn colors. A variety of flowering plants can be enjoyed here, depending on the season. (©JAPAN Forward) Author: Earl H Kinmonth Photographs by EH Kinmonth. Find other stories about Tokyo and nearby areas by Dr Kinmonth.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Yahoo
Judge tosses police union lawsuit against LAPD commander accused of computer fraud
A Los Angeles County judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by the union for rank-and-file police officers against an LAPD commander accused of accessing emails, surveys and materials intended only for lower-ranking cops. In a ruling Monday, L.A. County Superior Court Judge Bruce Iwasaki sided with Cmdr. Lillian Carranza and her co-defendant, Deputy Chief Marc Reina, who argued that the Los Angeles Police Protective League failed to prove the allegations of unlawful computer data access and fraud. Read more: Lawsuit claims LAPD commander tried to 'discredit' police union. Is it part of a broader rift? Iwasaki wrote that the league failed to make a clear allegation of the 'damage or loss' it incurred as a result of Carranza's actions, which centered on her accessing a union survey of its members, who are all below the rank of captain. Carranza and other command officers have their own separate union. Among other legal technicalities, Iwasaki wrote that the company Survey Monkey owned the survey in question — not the league. The suit was dismissed 'with prejudice,' which means it cannot be refiled. Carranza declined to discuss the ruling when reached this week, saying she wanted to explore her legal options first. Reina, who runs the department bureau that oversees training and recruitment, did not respond to a request for comment. Until recently, he also served as president of the Los Angeles Police Command Officers Assn., the union for department leadership. The league's suit, filed last year, accused Carranza of accessed the union's website by passing herself off as a lower-ranking officer and filled out a survey meant to grade supervisors. Carranza argued in court filings that she used her name when logging in, and pointed out that she and other command staff routinely used the league's system to access their agency benefits. In a letter to the command officers union last December, league President Craig Lally said command officers' access to the "benefits portal" would be cut off by the end of the year. A voicemail left for Lally went unreturned on Thursday. League officials have said a digital forensics firm hired to investigate the matter found that Carranza had opened approximately 49 'confidential emails' the union had sent to its members from 2016 to 2024, allegedly to undermine the union's credibility. The suit came amid an intensifying dispute between the league and Carranza, an outspoken commander from LAPD's Central Bureau, who in the past has repeatedly sued the department over its treatment of female officers and alleged underreporting of crime statistics. The league made a show of going after Carranza, calling a news conference, releasing YouTube videos and taking subtle shots at her in the pages of its monthly magazine, Thin Blue Line. Carranza further drew the league's ire when she came to the defense of a female captain who insisted on conducting a use-of-force investigation into an incident involving two of her officers. The union — whose members include most LAPD officers, detectives, sergeants and lieutenants — has argued that department morale is low because Carranza and other commanders lack accountability. Read more: LAPD cops shot 21 bystanders in 10 years. How does it keep happening? In addition to publicly criticizing Carranza, the union has also singled out other high-ranking officials — namely, Reina and Michael Rimkunas, another deputy chief who oversees internal investigations. Carranza, who was promoted to captain in 2012 and made commander in 2023, applied for the LAPD chief's job, which was vacated when Michel Moore retired in February 2024. Sources previously told The Times that Carranza was among a number of candidates who were invited for a second round of interviews. Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
