Artist: Kiyomi Fukui
Website: http://www.kiyomifukui.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kiyomimiz/
This week’s artist feature is Kiyomi Fukui Nannery and she is a Japanese American artist who lives and works in Long Beach, CA. She earned an MFA in Printmaking from the California State University of Long Beach and a BFA in Graphic Design from La Sierra University. Kiyomi also practices participatory performance and fiber arts, such as tatting and crocheting. Kiyomi’s main concept is to capture transient intimacy and irrespective of media.
Her style of art is a production that requires support from her audience. For Apologetic Garden, she inspired the audience to write letters to later plant into a wood crate. She shared her personal experience with unspoken apologies for her mother. This, in turn, inspired her audience to write an apology letter too. Unfortunately, regret is a common emotion felt. This emotion is instilled from the moment they wrote their letter. This letter will then grow into crops as seen in the gallery above.
Kiyomi’s artwork is not just what can be seen but it is also an emotion felt. The nature of the color is from tea stains that were spilled. Also, tea stains created cool patterns with reds, blues, and yellows. All of the shapes in her pieces are organically produced by her audience. For instance, Tea at 3307, her set up for the table cover is used as art because of the stains of different colored tea.
The elements used are all produced by nature in many forms. The organic setup for how the audience and the artist collaborates with their stories. It is great to demonstrate the different outlets for artists such as the projects Kiyomi Fukui focuses on. She is a great artist who values the experience gained from her exhibitions. Many of them are huge on empowerment to grow and accept.
I enjoyed how the tea stains were lively colors. She included other elements into her table set up such as lemons, honey, sugar cubes, stirrer sticks, and greens from her garden. Her idea of transient intimacy is demonstrated when the audience participates in her activity displayed with her exhibition. I gained insights into a different form of art. Considering, Kiyomi’s different projects and the ideas she stimulates on her audience is to remember that we are human beings including the emotions felt are valid because that is all that is left after sincere apologies. Another perspective on how we can unit with others and create art that captures an “in the moment” feeling.
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