Artist Statement:

Liminal, coming from the Latin word lïmen meaning “a threshold,” describes the disorienting and undefinable space between a binary. Liminal items do not exist in absolutes and cannot be readily placed in a single group or under one definition. They often maintain an ephemeral quality, existing for a short time or consistently evolving. If I were to condense my artistic practice into one word, it would be liminal.

As a mixed-race person, I have never felt that I truly belong. I am not white enough to be white and not Japanese enough to be Japanese. My identity is in flux, changing when necessary, code-switching when appropriate. I strive to make work that speaks to my liminal identity and defines the representation that I seek.

I am inspired by the figurative quality of Japanese Ukiyo-e printmaking in contrast to western contemporary imagery. The stylistically striking and graphic characteristic of Ukiyo-e represents a recognizably non-white figure and symbolizes my relationship with my Japanese identity. Similarly, Japanese art elements like kabuki theater makeup and a bokashi gradient become a touchstone to my cultural identity. By juxtaposing this imagery to the canonically western medium of stone lithography and silkscreen, I blend the binary between the western and the Japanese.

The subject matter of my work comes from personal experience, folklore, dreams, and traditional portraiture. This manifests in subtle and intimate scenes from my daily life, memories, family history, Japanese Internment, and dream narratives. In doing so, I speak to the lingering anxiety and discomfort that comes with a liminal existence.

This land is soaked in blood, 2019, cotton, mesh, dye, screen print,