Embrace

Product Description

Embrace by Katie Nagayama

8″ x 8″, Acrylic and Graphite

Current Exhibition at Flower Pepper Gallery: Xiong Mao from April 11th to May 12th, 2015

Artist Biography:
Katie Nagayama was born and raised in Clovis, California. She works predominately in oil painting as well as acrylic and graphite. Katie is a graduate of Azusa Pacific University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Drawing and Painting. She enjoys traveling, concerts, nature, and exploring unfamiliar places.

Artist Statement:
“As an artist, I value the connection between my work and the relationship to my viewer. I believe in considering the audience, rather than limiting them from an unknown subject. My goal is to invite the viewer into a familiar, yet mysterious part of their surroundings.

My work is a reflection of nature and the connection between the inner conscious and the human experience. My perception of nature can be interpreted through patterns and design, combined with abstraction. I want to create a space that provides moments of stillness, to feel the weight of chaos being lifted from within in order to hear, to understand. By inviting the viewer to explore intricate parts of nature, my hope is that they will approach it with a curious mind and be willing to let the work consume them internally.

My primary medium is oil and acrylic paint, but I’m also drawn to materials such as graphite, which allow for further detail. I enjoy using natural material, such as wood panel, because of the relationship to what is either found in nature or nature itself. I’d like to think of my work as an extreme form of realism, through my ability in allowing the paint to transform my subject matter instead of using it to imitate it.

Before beginning a piece, I meditate on it, building my energy so that I can go into it with full force. I value the volume of labor and craftsmanship it takes to make my work precious. There is a reward I find in every piece through the sacrifice of time and energy. My process revolves around detail, giving every mark a purpose.

My current work continues to explore and meld the relationship between nature and the internal human soul with another approach. I’ve been experimenting with looser brush strokes, while still maintaining realism and pattern. I want to continue to explore the combination of different techniques with the same goals for my audience.”

Artist Website: http://katie-nagayama.squarespace.com/

Additional Information