I explore my Japanese heritage through my art by touching on culture, ethnicity and gender. This series embodies my reflections on Japanese culture blended with the diverse cultures of the San Francisco Bay area. It questions gender roles and class while discovering the interplay between women, their identities and the worlds in which they live. These works are pinnacles in my life encompassing my Japanese and American influences, and it is where I attempt to blend the two.

Brittany Yumiko, 48x48, Latex on Linen
My daughter, Brittany, is Eurasian American, a fusion of Japanese and European, and my favorite model. The painting, Brittany Yumiko, borrows from the eastern and western influences. The decorative aesthetics of Japan's Edo period in the 1600's during the Tokugawa era combine with the expressions of Austrian Gustav Klimt's portraits of the female in the early 1900's. In the painting, her fashion is timelessly intermingled, part kimono and part robe showing and unveiling a hint of her slip. Upon closer inspection, the expression of the woman in this painting defies the stereotype of the submissive Japanese woman. I chose to play with softness and strength through the delicate slip and the quiet pride in her expression. Full Image

Yumiko, 32x24, Oil on Linen
This painting, Yumiko is a spiritual painting of my mother. With a lit candle next to my easel, I painted in pure silence. This process allowed me to remain in a meditative state in each sitting. I felt serene and peaceful while painting and I literally watched her come to life before my eyes.

My mother, Yumiko, instilled Japanese and Western culture in my family. I remember her laughter, her beauty and sense of fashion and style. She loved glitter and sparkles and sewed the beautiful, elegant evening dresses she wore to accompany my father to parties and events. She enjoyed reading books and Japanese magazines, loved Jackie O. and her fashion statements, and President Kennedy. She taught me how to sew, to knit, make origami balloons and to cook. She was a kind soul and when I brought my friends home to meet her, they all loved her sweetness and generosity. These memories are reflected in the serenity and spirit of this painting. Full Image

I Broke My Foot, 36x24, Oil on Birch
The painting, I Broke My Foot, symbolizes the presence and absence of my mother. It helps to reinforce my relationship with her while offering a tribute to her legacy. Kokeshi Dolls originated in northern Japan, made of wood with enlarged heads and lacking arms and legs. My mother, Yumiko collected Kokeshi dolls. The doll in this painting is one I have favored since childhood. I continue to cherish and show this Kokeshi again and again through my art. She is tiny, feminine and delicate, approximately four inches in height and has a broken foot from being dropped on the floor. Full Image

Identity Crises, 30x37, Photomontage on Canvas
This piece, Identity Crises, is a dual portrait, a psychological attempt to dig deep below the layers to find the core meaning of our family lineage. One morning, I found my daughter, Brittany looking at her reflection in the mirror and we began a dialog. We spoke of our cultural identity and how one views another based upon their physical appearance. While on a path of exploring my Japanese identity, I learned Brittany was also searching for her roots. Being of Eurasian decent, she felt a great divide within herself as I was also seeking answers to my own identity. Feeling frustration and confusion about our identities, we began to search for answers together. Full Image

My Kanai, 48x24, Oil on Birch
In the painting, My Kanai, the title holds a double meaning for me. In Japanese, the word, kanai, describes what a man calls his wife, referring to her as his property. A kanai is someone who cleans the house, works, and transitions into an erotic queen at night to satisfy her man. Although I loved the name Kanai, for my dog, I deplore the meaning. When I chose this name for my dog, I did not understand the connotation, but quickly learned. A woman is not property, and in this painting, the woman is the man's kanai and my Pekingese dog is, my Kanai. Full Image