Cultivate

an expression of the admiration and gratitude I feel for my grandmother, Baachan

By Kiana Bates

When I began photographing Baachan, my intention was to document her daily life to understand how she spends her days. The time we’ve spent together has given me more than a record of her life—it has helped me develop a deep admiration for her character and her resilience in the face of hardship. I’ve learned of her childhood in Japan during World War II, the grueling immigration process to the United States as a young mother, and the years spent laboring to support her family. These experiences have shaped who she is and how she approaches her life.

Baachan is a cultivator. Despite knowing that she may never see the fruits of her labors in her lifetime, she lives her life by this Japanese phrase: 役に立つ, that she may be of use. From the outside she is unassuming. She lives a quiet life of service, constantly mending, cleaning, creating, learning, or pouring herself into others. She intentionally puts time into things that take time. Just as a gardener plants a seed, hoping that it will one day yield fruit, Baachan plants seeds in her own life and the lives of those around her. She nurtures her garden: her family, her spirit, her talents, and as I’ve come to realize—me.