Kyo Koike

born Shimane Prefecture, Japan, 1878; died Seattle, Washington, 1947

BiographyDr. Kyo Koike was a physician who immigrated to the United States in 1916, settling in Seattle. He actively pursued his many artistic interests including poetry, writing, and photography. He taught himself to write in English and then translated over 30 volumes of literature from Japanese to English. Koike began exhibiting his photography in 1920 at the Frederick and Nelson salons then in national and international competitions quickly rising to prominence in Pictorialist circles. In 1924 he co-founded the Seattle Camera Club and became the editor of the club’s bilingual monthly bulletin Notan, published from 1925 to 1929. His works garnered continual honors including numerous solo exhibitions and publication in major national journals. Koike was imprisoned at the Minidoka Relocation Center during World War II and never recovered his health, dying shortly after his release.

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