Statement

I am a Japanese American interdisciplinary artist whose work navigates the ambiguities of everyday life, labor, material culture, and the distortion of memory. Drawing from cross-cultural experiences and the traditions of folk crafts, I incorporate rescued materials into my practice, uncovering the hidden beauty in the discarded and mundane.

My art spans performance, installation, sculpture, and social practice. I confront the state of the world by blending seething sorrow, stubborn optimism, and a touch of nerdy humor. Through these works, I invite audiences—and myself—to question social norms, challenge cultural biases, and uncover new perspectives. By highlighting the uncanny in the familiar, I aim to spark conversations that instigate curiosity and inspire reflection.

On the outside, I’m a nice bespectacled middle-aged Japanese-American woman in aspirational outdoor garb. I grew up poor in Tokyo, immigrated, served in the US Army, and managed to graduate from Berkeley. From this, everything you’d assume about my demographics and identities is true ~ all of which shows up in my work.

On the inside, however, I grapple with my monstrosity, my inner Godzilla churning with profound potential energy and power. Every work I create contains layers upon layers of ideas and meaning, often in direct conflict with one another. My art is an ongoing conversation, dance, and scuffle between the civilized and primordial me.