⋆｡°✩About The Artist ✩°｡⋆
Photo by Sory Keita
I am an undergraduate student at the University of Michigan, majoring in Art & Design, reaching my fourth year. My creative practice mainly consists of oil painting. My work revolves around my relationship with my body and the imperceptible nature of life that affects it. The juxtaposition of the tangible and the intangible forever impacts my perception of myself and my interaction with the world as I navigate through my life as a Japanese American. I document my in-body and out-of-body experiences through paintings of figures and objects that are ambiguously merged through softened intersections, testing the eyes of those perceiving what’s real and what’s not. These are my nuanced expressions of my gender, sexuality, personal philosophies, and stance on racial and gender politics.
I believe art can touch the untouchable without a single word being uttered. It can be interpreted through the eyes of the artist and the eyes of the viewer. Through this form of creative weapon, I wish to divulge the concealed roots within society. With my work, I also put my Asian identity under the spotlight, struggling to find a community where there are Japanese artists heavily represented. Detroit has been a big part of my life, and my vision is to join their art world, aiming to build a community to share culture, art, music, and food, as well as combating gentrification and oppression, and bringing attention to more AAPI artists in the area.