Ema Kubo is a Japanese-American painter and art historian. Her sumi ink and watercolor paintings are an extension of her mixed heritage and religious background—an expression of a blend of cultures.

She has exhibited in galleries internationally. Her art history research focuses on Japanese Catholic history from Premodern Japan and is expressed through narrative painting. Ema holds a BFA from Biola University and MA from San Francisco State University. She lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Below, Kubo explains her process:

My painting “language” comes from Western tradition of modeling and shading, though expressed using Japanese sumi ink and pigments.

I start with the meditative ritual of grinding ink with a Japanese ink slab, along with prayer. I then pay careful attention to an accurate rendering without overcrowding a space, and eventually finish with a hand-painted signature rather than a Japanese seal.

I invite the viewer to come along my journey of exploring, struggling, but mostly celebrating diverse backgrounds, which I personally find to be equal parts awkward and beautiful.

Hunt of Summer was acquired in 2023 by the Art on Campus Task Force as part of an ongoing effort to grow the LPC art collection, with a focus on local Bay area artists and LPC student artists.

Credit: Nike Foundation Site Funds, CLPCCD’s Board of Trustees, Art on Campus Task Force