This is one of my “Body” series of paintings which features biomorphic shapes with titles that allude to the relationships between the mind, body, and spirit. These works emerge from moments spent both within and beyond my painting practice—often during meditation. My process is spontaneous and unplanned; I approach a blank canvas intuitively, allowing colors, forms, tonalities, and textures to unfold through play and instinct. I think of each painting as a portrait that illustrates a universal language of emotions—something that can’t be fully defined by words, yet is deeply felt by all humans. Often, the subject takes the form of a single image contained within a frame. At first glance, it might resemble an eccentric creature or a body part. But as the colors surround you and draw you into a timeless realm of presence, what once felt unfamiliar may begin to feel strangely familiar—something that was always within you.

Shizuka Kusayanagi

Message

Follow

Shizuka Kusayanagi (b. 1982, Yokohama, Japan) is an artist, designer, and educator whose practice centers on painting, drawing, and text as forms of translation—exploring how personal and emotional experiences can be expressed beyond words. After more than 25 years living in New York and Los Angeles, she recently returned to Japan and now lives and works in Fukuoka. Working primarily in oil painting, Kusayanagi also works across drawing, printmaking, installation, photography, video, and text. Her work has been exhibited internationally, including a solo show at Signal Gallery in Fukuoka, Japan; DMST Atelier, Project Space, and la Beast Gallery in Los Angeles; Arario Gallery in New York; and in Dublin, Ireland. Recent exhibitions include All The (Healing) Parts (2024), Positive Exposure: Southern California Asian American Art (2023), and CHIMERA (2023). Kusayanagi was selected for the Fall 2023 IKEA Residency and shortlisted for the Spring 2023 Hopper Prize. Her IKEA residency experience was featured in The Los Angeles Times. Her short film was selected for the Motionpoems film catalog in association with the Poetry Foundation, and her drawings and installations have been featured in Graphic Magazine and Grafuck. She holds a BFA in Communication Design from Parsons School of Design in New York.