Artistic and Social Involvement in Designing the “Comfort Women” Memorial ​in San Francisco 
Steven Whyte, Sculptor
Ellen Wilson, Gallery Director
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 "Comfort Women" History and Issues: Teacher Resource Guide
"Comfort Women" History and Issues: Student Resource Guide​

British sculptor Steven Whyte had created more than fifty life-size or larger public monuments in his native England and across the United States when he was awarded the commission to create the “comfort women” memorial for San Francisco, eventually entitled Women’s Column of Strength.
 
The “comfort women” memorial was a unique project in many ways. First, the subject was extremely difficult and controversial. Whyte had never worked on a project for which there was so much resistance. The studio and the artist received thousands of emails, some of which were threatening. Also, it was a challenge to come up with a design that communicated the suffering of these women, spoke to their resilience, and provided the city of San Francisco with a beautiful piece of art.

Whyte is honest that, like many others, he was unaware of the story of the so-called “comfort women” before he became involved in the work for the memorial. However, once he began to research the project, he was immediately drawn to the opportunity to use his work to bring attention and a modicum of justice to the women who were victimized by the systemized process of sexual enslavement used by the Japanese army during World War II.

Whyte struggled with how to depict such sensitive subject matter. Frequently, themes of this kind are approached in the abstract. However—while abstract and conceptual designs can be extremely moving and effective—for this subject matter, where these victims have been denied recognition for so long, and in fact are still fighting for justice, Whyte strongly believed that a figurative approach was essential. He found that his challenge was to actualize this struggle while still making the monument universal.
 
Whyte decided to focus on the following elements: vulnerability; resolve; solidarity; resilience; and demand of recognition. He finally focused on a concept showing three girls rising above what they had endured and using the power of their survival to ensure that their experience was used to bring awareness to sexual violence as a means of war. The sculptor saw beauty in that purpose and believed that if he could center the monument around that concept, he would accomplish something important and worthy.
 
The design features three young “comfort women” standing in a circle atop a soaring cylindrical steel base. The shape of the base and the relationship of the figures serve several purposes. Shown holding hands, the women form a circle that suggests their solidarity with all sexual abuse survivors. 
 
Their position atop the column indicates that these survivors have risen above the cycle of violence, but also hints at the disconnection that survivors of sexual violence can feel from the rest of society. The narrow column represents how they are precariously atop their imprisoned state, yet their toes are right on the edge, symbolizing how the confinement of their memories also serves as an impetus to escape their fears. Most importantly, the raised height of the women declares that they will no longer have their story hidden in shame. Instead, their bravery and perseverance demand acknowledgement. Staring down at visitors to the park, each of the women wears a resolute expression and an unyielding gaze.
 
The three females are Chinese, Korean, and Filipino, aged twelve to twenty years old at the cusp of womanhood. They stand tall, in solidarity with each other, rising above each tarnished past of innocence lost. Viewing the monument from the ground is the figure of Hak-Soon Kim, the human rights activist who broke the silence about the atrocities she suffered as a former “comfort woman” and fought against the use of sexual slavery and rape in war. Called “Grandma,” Hak-Soon Kim looks at the survivors with resilient power, reminding all that justice will and ought to have its resolution.
 
Whyte submitted this design to a blind selection committee. Looking back, Whyte believes that it was this anonymous process that allowed his work to be selected. He feels honored that he was trusted to take on this subject despite the fact that he is a white male of British descent.

Whyte approached this responsibility through copious research with the goal of creating something that could be seen as both specific and universal. He secured authentic clothing from local historical societies. Since each figure needed be of a very specific, identifiable race, Whyte found local models from the central coast. He notes, “As a figurative sculptor, I always seek out live models, but for this project, reaching out to models was particularly sensitive. I knew that I wanted young girls of the appropriate ethnicities and age to model for the faces of the figures, but I never wanted them to feel uncomfortable about the project in which they were involved. As a result, we were very honest with them about the subject. When these young girls came back to model, explaining that this project had prompted them to ask their grandmothers and great aunts about their own experiences during WWII and had led their families to finally talk about this experience, we knew we were involved with something really special. That this piece of work was helping to motivate our conversation that needed to be had.”

The project had significant impact. When installed, the monument doubled the number of statues depicting women in San Francisco. Whyte had been making public monuments and creating portrait busts for two decades. By a huge majority, the subjects that are selected to be honored in this manner are men of Caucasian decent. It’s one of the reasons that the artists tended to focus on the female form when doing work of their own designs. The opportunity, through the “comfort women” project, to bring this focus to a larger scale was of great interest to Whyte.
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The monument was installed in the midst of a global discussion about the subjects we choose to venerate through public art and the impact that these choices have on a community. This discussion brings to light that careful thought and consideration has to go into the subject matters of these works. Whyte has said, “Above all, these sculptures are done for the public. My work does not become fully formed until I see the response that it has with the viewer. This concept grows exponentially when creating work at the public scale.” Whyte believes that artists and the cities and public institutions who commission work need to consider the reaction of the entire community in their selection of subject matter and in the way that the subject matter is addressed.
 
Whyte recognizes that the “comfort women” subject matter is controversial, but he also feels as though empirical evidence and history will support the sculpture and the call for justice. This effort also inspired his design by focusing on the women in a way that showcases their courage rather than focusing on vilifying or accusing others. He has said that “the moment that public work moves beyond its duty to educate, to honor and provide a catalyst for reflection, it loses its purpose. We have all heard the phrase that history is written by the victors. We know that this can lead to mistruths and to a history that is myopic, unbalanced and incorrect. I think as a society we are just beginning to really learn these lessons; we as artists have an important role to play in making sure these lessons are reflected in the way we change the landscape of our communities. There is great responsibility in the scale and permanence of the work we create; it is a humbling honor that should never be underestimated.”