Artist Statement:
In my research, I investigate my identity as Japanese-born married into an American family through language of adaptation. My perspectives fluctuate somewhere in between the traditions of the island country and the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia that my new family calls home. There is excitement, uncertainty and desire to mend the heritages together in a new lexicon, like a soliloquy weaving in and out of cultures, molding a new interpretation of what it means to adopt a new country and new ideologies.
At times my work is commemorative like those that capture the intimate lives of wildlife.
Other times it reflects urgency such as the immigration project.
Often times it provides a reflective moment capturing the forgotten histories.
All of which transforms a work into a moment of discovery and desire to ameliorate our fragile and delicate existence.
Like the silent movies of the past, I create experiences that resonate, experiences that remain personal to the viewers as I imagine our capacity to function as philanthropists.