June Fukumura

June 2019

June developed her new full length solo clown performance, My Name is SUMIKO, which premiered at Vancouver Fringe Festival @ What Lab (September, 5 – 15). She was thrilled to be create this new work as an artist in residence through What Lab.

From creator and performer June:

“Sumiko is an unabashed, hyper-kawaii, J-Pop wannabe bouffon character. Sumiko represents an assemblage of all of the ‘taboo’ parts of my identity as a second generation Nikkei (Japanese-Canadian) woman. She is extremely kawaii (cute/innocent), unabashedly sexual, commands attention, speaks with a thick Japanese accent, and she is overly proud of being Japanese. She is a cute, fuzzy plush toy with razor sharp claws. She lives in the tension between the innocent and experienced; ingénue and trickster; kawaii and grotesque; light and dark; sacred and profane. She is a character which defies all expectation of the stereotypical Japanese icon.”

My Name is SUMIKO a comedic one woman cabaret that interweaves clown turns, J-Pop tunes, and Japanese variety show games. It is a delightfully quirky exorcism of our deepest fears, shame, and taboos.