Marjorie Pigott, Artist: Ontario's Japanese History: Multicultural Ontario Collections

Ontario's Japanese History

Marjorie Pigott, Artist

Table of Contents

Introduction Early Japanese Immigration World War II: Discrimination and Internment World War II: Camps and Living Conditions World War II: Labour World War II: Canada's Shame Notable Japanese-Ontarians Marjorie Pigott, Artist David Tsubouchi, Member of Provincial Parliament Bev Oda, Member of Parliament Irene Uchida, Scientist Raymond Moriyama and Bruce Kuwabara, Architects Joy Kogawa, Writer More Resources Japanese Internment in Ontario and its impact

"Only a Memory," 1960, watercolour on paper, by Marjorie Piggott. Courtesy the Oshawa Public Libraries. [Learn More]

"Late Summer," 1960, watercolour on paper, by Marjorie Piggott. Courtesy the Oshawa Public Libraries. [Learn More]

Marjorie Pigott (1904-1990) was a Japanese Canadian artist of Japanese and English descent, who worked primarily in watercolour. Pigott was born and raised in Yokohama, Japan, to a Japanese mother and an English father. In 1940, Marjorie and her sister Edith immigrated to Canada, arriving first in Vancouver and then settling in Toronto.

Marjorie painted many Canadian landscapes, especially in the Muskoka region of Ontario, and taught watercolour techniques to students, specializing in the Japanese style she had learned from her Nanga Masters. From the Nanga School, she received her Seal Diploma and Master Diploma, making her a Nanga Master herself.

Marjorie's style developed into something totally unique, while drawing from this training: an abstracted technique that focuses on botanical shapes and silhouettes more than rock formations and treelines.