The newly renaturalized Don River mouth, the connectivity and sustenance of water, and the return of fish species to this area are among the inspirations for Alexa Kumiko Hatanaka’s artwork.

Five flagpoles support a school of fish sculptures based on koinobori, traditional Japanese streamers. For Hatanaka, the fish sculptures also recall fish mythologies that symbolize strength within fragility and the power of determination over adversity. The fish seen here are modelled on species in the local ecosystem: Pickerel and Pumpkinseed recently returned to the river, and Carp are an invasive species found in Lake Ontario and its wetlands.

Hatanaka typically makes her artworks by hand using traditional materials and techniques. Her approach is attuned to environmental awareness and the survival of community craft practices such as washi papermaking.

For the Art Trail, her sculptures were created in collaboration with sail-making experts, hand-sewn from parachute fabric. Some of the printed patterns derive from non-toxic ink impressions of actual fish, which recall early methods of recording anatomical fish data. The prints, rigging choices, and the way the windsocks respond to shifts in the wind illustrate Hatanaka’s interest in embodied knowledge honed by observation and environmental sensing.