I use visual communication to express unification and individuality. I start with a mark and continue to build on it as an expression. Each mark has its own unique identity, and each mark interacts with another mark in its own unique way. All of the marks together represent an individual conceptual structure. It is only when I complete the piece that I am able to attach a verbal word to enable communication. I use art as a medium to openly communicate the individual differences among us. Ideally, there is a ripple effect. As with drops of rain in a pond, each drop forms a concentric circle that joins with another concentric circle, and this intertwining has a larger effect. Each individual marks I create enables communication and creates conversation.
- Wakana Kimura
BIO
Wakana Kimura, is an artist originally from Izu Shizuoka, Japan. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Oil Painting from the Tokyo University of the Arts and a Master of Fine Arts from the Otis College of Arts and Design in California. In 2023, Kimura was awarded the City of Los Angeles Individual Master Artist Project (COLA IMAP).
Kimura has participated in a number of notable projects and exhibitions, including an Artist in Residence program in Echizen, Japan, where she collaborated with traditional paper craftsmen to create the Echizen Mandala. She was also commissioned by Zenshuji Soto Mission Los Angeles to create the Nehanzu: Parinirvana painting for their 100-year anniversary in 2023. In addition, Kimura has created a 2700 sq/ft mural for the Robertson Recreation Center, commissioned by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, and a poster series called 'Through the Eyes of the Artist' for the Los Angeles Metro.
Her work has been featured at various institutions in Japan and the United States, including the Union Station Los Angeles, Pomona College Museum of Art, Baldwin Wallace Museum, Koyasan Beikoku Betsuin, Wilshire Blvd Temple, Japan Foundation Los Angeles, Japanese American Cultural & Community Center, Brand Library Art Center, LA Artcore, Angeles Gate Culture Center, Maui Art Center, Torrance Art Museum, and more.
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