Lua Kobayashi

Claremont Installations: On North Harvard Ave

Wood, acrylic, glass, projector, model material

Lua Kobayashi

In the Neighborhood: In the Doorway

Archival print, mixed media

About the artist

Lua Kobayashi

I am Lua Kobayashi, a California-based artist and UCLA graduate, receiving my B.A. in 2019. My work typically takes its form in photo, video, and installation - often combining all three. Through my practice, I am interested in the stories behind everyday objects, places and people, with which we all believe we are familiar; primarily utilizing my own experience within suburbia. Smiling neighbors, perfectly mowed lawns and endless rows of beautifully manicured homes - a seeming idyllic small town. However, growing up in a “perfect” suburb, showed me that this was anything but true. I never fit into my town, despite trying to dress, act and speak like those around me. I would never be included as I do not fit the regimented set of rules laid out by those who identify as “normal”; being a minority physically and inwardly. I was often left feeling like I was on the outskirts looking in; this led me to try to understand how everyone else lived their lives and how it was different from mine.

What I found was the residents were hiding their true-selves, and within every home are lives made up of routines, relationships, gossip, crimes and more. This discovery fascinated me; we often dismiss or ignore the importance of the stories in front of us because they are a part of our everyday lives. I focus on these hidden tales - dissecting the histories and truths behind them and why they always seem to fall to the wayside of the mundane. I fabricate miniature scenes/sets based on these kinds of anthologies; utilizing memories, rumors, history, imagination and the visual aesthetics and languages of films/television. Stories of, or about individuals are important because as more come together they form a history of a place, object or even another person. Through my work, I hope to understand why we are all consistently drawn to, live in, and accept these stories and structures; ultimately, looking for what truly lies beneath the facade and what really happens within.