Location: Vancouver.

Year: 2017

Project Type: Design Built | Installation

Design Team: Divine Ndemeye, Arkgo Chen, Yilang Kang, Jivan Khera, Alex Laos

Partners: UBC SALA, Bing Thom Architects (BTA) and Abaton Projects

Macro Maki was the winning design for the 41st Powell Street Festival public art competition—an interactive installation celebrating Japanese-Canadian culture through humor, play, and participatory design.

Conceived as a large-scale, immersive experience, Macro Maki invited festival-goers to dress in handcrafted sushi costumes and pose for aerial photos on a raised wooden platform designed to resemble an oversized sushi tray. The piece transformed public space into a site of cultural joy and embodied storytelling, inviting all ages to engage with Japanese culinary heritage in an unexpected way.

Divine Ndemeye co-led the design and fabrication process alongside a multidisciplinary team, collaborating on the creation of the platform, signage, costume design, camera mounts, and event-day coordination. The installation was hosted at multiple community events over three years, consistently drawing crowds and media attention for its warmth and playfulness.