The Foundation is Important…
Shtaji ga daiji…
下地が大事

Fine Art

Since 2013 T has been exploring her lineage and the culture nearly lost due to the internment of the Japanese-Americans during WWII. Her maternal grandparents and their families alongside 127,000+ Japanese-Americans have been an inspiration that has led her to reimagine folk tales, myths, and legends rooted in the culture.

Illustrative Art

T comes from a family of storytellers. Not because any of the them are declared writers, but because they talk about their daily lives and history as if it was a novel: with highs and lows, arcs and crescendos, and sometimes even a hero’s journey. Fittingly, T married someone who loved to write, and those stories needed pictures.

Decorative Art

T began with designing for theatre productions- scenery both understated and grand. That led to manufacturing and merchandising essential pieces for the home. Then, curating her home, and finally, curating other’s. Designing the home is not only an art, but a unique lifestyle-puzzle with the goal of making a space as functional as possible for the one-of-a-kind individual.

“What do you do?”
Have you ever been asked that?

I have always struggled to define “what I do,” often associating it with “who” I am. I like to have options, change, challenges, and breadth. Some years I was a designer, in others I was a merchandiser or consultant, but always held back on saying “artist.”

At long last I found the thing I am happiest being, is an artist. My journey back to artistry wasn’t until after I stumbled into many tangent trades.

Each trade and title I held has threaded its way into my work. The exploration of my career led to an exploration of my soul.

When I was a teen and dreamed of being an artist I self-indulgently thought “if I am quoted in the history books, what profound thing will I be quoted saying?” So I tried to create something profound: Imperfection is inevitable, but it is the undoubted endeavor that fabricates esteemed work.

I didn’t have any idea what that meant. Sometimes I still don’t think I get it. Funny enough, this thing I naively wanted to be remembered as my mantra, has actually become my mantra. However, done is better than perfect. Action is better than the version we keep in our mind, simply because action is real.

The Japanese concept of ‘wabi sabi’ indicates the beauty of embracing aesthetic imperfection, whereas ‘kaizen’ is rooted in continuous improvement and the pursuit of perfection.

Mistakes, perseverance, and the willingness to change are key to real progress.