Paper flowers were used to adorn living quarters, soften the harshness of barracks, and mark important communal and personal events. Weddings, in particular, were often decorated with elaborate handmade flowers. Community members frequently gathered prior to these occasions, contributing their labor to create beauty for moments of celebration, and underscoring their role in sustaining connection, care, and ritual within confinement.
Beyond their decorative utility, paper flowers functioned as semiotic links to ancestral tradition. By meticulously recreating countless species, including chrysanthemums, incarcerated individuals invoked Japanese floral symbolism–representing longevity, renewal, and the transience of life. By recreating these forms, incarcerated individuals maintained ties to cultural practices like ikebana (the art of traditional Japanese flower arrangements) while adapting them to the realities of camp life. This blending of tradition and improvisation reflects how art functioned not only as survival but as a way to carry forward identity and meaning.
After the petals are done, add the green sepal. If it is not sticking around the stem, feel free to use scotch tape, as it will be covered by flower tape in the next step.
