Warm Rain

"Warm Rain" is part of the ダブル • Daburu collection, a partnered exhibition with my friend and fellow Japanese-American artist Marie Okuma Johnston at Gallery 110.  This collection explores our bicultural identities and experiences between the United States and Japan. Daburu is the Japanese hepburn spelling of double, a rising identity of mixed-race Japanese. Traditionally, mixed-race Japanese have been called “hafu” or half, which only places value on the Japanese side of identity rather than embracing the entirety of a person’s experience. The title of Daburu is also a play on the double feature of the artist's stories, identities, parallels, and bicultural experiences.  Most of my memories in Japan take place during the summer, when it's humid and rainy. This painting reflects that warm rain feeling, and is based on a photo I took during a recent visit to my mom's hometown. 30"x24" oil on stretched canvas  signed by artist