I create suspended worlds of color and air - diaphanous hybrid works that blend photography, paint, and textile form, shifting and breathing with light. My work grows out of memory and ritual, offering a deep breath in a world that is constantly whirling. These pieces become gentle offerings of shelter and sanctuary.

As a half-Japanese artist living by the coast of Los Angeles, my practice is shaped by California’s expansiveness - its color, light, and space - and by the philosophies of my namesakes, my mother Ann and my grandmother Faith Akiko, who shared with me traditions rooted in ritual, harmony, and the spirit world. My grandmother was a collector of antiques, and some of her collection of scarves and kimono cloths have carried into my work since her passing - small inheritances that continue to shape my sense of material and memory.

These threads of lineage accompany me across place. Born in Sydney and having lived in eight cities, I often felt both “other” and “at home” at once. It feels natural then that I am drawn to shaping spaces of belonging defined more by spirit than geography.

Many works begin with a photograph of a landscape, person, or ancient site. I digitally paint, cut, and layer multiple overlays of imagery and painted textile until the expression loosens into something more elemental - evoking memory or energy, the hidden currents that move us through daily life. Printed onto translucent fabrics and light-responsive surfaces, then sewn and suspended, the work comes alive as light passes through it, revealing its quieter forces.

In installations, I often invite viewers to write wishes, memories, or gestures, creating living monuments shaped by community.

My Japanese name, Kiwa, refers to a threshold - the transitional space between inside and outside, between poles, and the unity that exists in between. This is what my work seeks to hold: a liminal realm where we can slow down and connect in the in-between - a soft, womb-like space where the breath slows and the veil between worlds feels thinner.