In her oral history projects, Sach Takayasu creates paintings together with the narrator, an innovative process from which key memories and stories come to life. The collaboration produces interviews and images that convey multisensory memories of what the narrator experienced, felt, saw, and tasted. The resulting pieces enable the audience to connect with the stories, even if they are not familiar with the narrator's culture, language, or historic experience.
A quick view of this approach could be seen on her OHMA exhibit page, which also features an audio story about a time and tradition that no longer exists: a marriage arranged in 1928 Japan and how that fared as the couple's world turned upside down.
Prior to developing this approach, Sach interviewed the Asian American activist, Suki Terada Ports, who illuminated the cultural complexity of fighting HIV/AIDS.
Sach holds a Master of Arts in Oral History from Columbia University. At INCITE/Columbia Center for Oral History Research, she served as a Fellow and interviewer for its Obama Presidency Oral History Project. She also led the Weatherhead East Asian Institute’s oral history project.
As a member of the Oral History Association, she serves on its Diversity Committee and has presented in its annual meetings.
She also serves on her alma mater, Carnegie Mellon University's Board of Advisors for the Dean of Dietrich College.
