I actually love this style of graffiti, ever since I was in high school of senior year. I remember everyday in art class I would doodle other classmates names in different styled fonts, but bubbled font was always my favorite. I still have all of my notebook sheets from back then! This is definitely my favorite activity so far because it gave me a sense of nostalgia. It brings me back to me sitting in my green seat in Room 301, in the back of the classroom, with my box of copic markers, just enjoying the creativity that would flow out of my brain. I do miss this feeling, so maybe being in quarantine will help me spark that passion that I once had.

Artist: Kiyomi Fukui
Exhibition:Conversation on Conflict, The Green Thumb Project
Media: Sculpture, Print-based
Website: kiyomifukui.com
Instagram: @kiyomimiz

Kiyomi Fukui is a Japanese-American that lives and works in Long Beach, CA. Her art is motivated by the idea that things do not last forever and that is okay. As she states on her website, “There is a tendency for people to seek permanance – When we know something lasts forever, it seems to permit us security, whereas impermanence reveals our insecurity.” I find it fascinating that she is able to capture this vulnerability through her artwork. Most of her work relies on the participants in some way like she explained in a couple of her pieces.

My first favorite piece that she described was about her relationship with her father called: Conversation on Conflict. Her father was a second generation Korean and a pastor with strict views. There were many arguments between them. The conversation talked about how he was able to become naturalized and by hearing him speak she was able to see some sort of humanity within him. She wanted to understand where he was coming from since he had identified himself as “other”. By using that term, he had felt “othered” by Japanese people and struggled with his identity, as well as having to change his name. The art piece relied on her audience to fold sheets of origami paper, which had this conversation typed out between the two, into cranes. She stated that by having each person fold a crane, it signified a repeated prayer to the impossible, and the impossible was that she hoped that their relationship would get better.

My second favorite piece that she described was related to her mother’s passing in Korea, from an ongoing battle of cancer called: The Green Thumb Project. Kiyomi felt a burden on her shoulders by not being able to be there during her mother’s passing, so by creating this piece it allowed her to feel some type of closure. Kiyomi was able to create a cast of her mother’s thumb and bring it back to the states. With this cast, she created more thumbs using paper mache. The purpose of this was for her to be able to mold and plant seeds into them to allow them to grow. Not to mention they are biodegradable which is a plus. These green thumbs signified her mother spreading into other people’s space. This was, in a way, a type of rebirth and her mother would be able to live on forever.

Most art that I see is fun to look at and has a unique technique to it. With Kiyomi’s art, I find it very striking, honest, and real. I was able to connect with her thoughts and perceptions even through the screen. I appreciate how she was able to take her sensitive memories and portray them in such a positive and open light. She wasn’t trying to hide her difficult past, but instead wanted to include others in her journey to heal. I agree with her idea that people seek comfort in security and with something like death, it is inevitable. However, it also gives us a chance to see beauty in pain like she was able to do.

When making this sculpture, I was thinking of all the waste we put into the Earth that prevents or slows down the growth of natural conditions. Take this Pepsi can for example. It can be recycled, however it is easier to throw it into the nearest trash bin that you can find. The nationwide recycling rate is only 35% (yay for them!) BUT that leaves a whopping 65% of waste not being recycled (aw). What happens to the rest of these soda cans that are left to fend for themselves? Well, they end up in the landfill where they begin to decompose for 200 years. As long as these materials are around in the environment, they will slow down natural growth and be detrimental to plants, flowers, trees, etc.

This is why I decided to make flowers out of aluminum soda cans because it is ironic to me that we can make materials that last forever, but also hurt the Earth which slowly increases its chance of becoming inhabitable which is something that we’d want to stay forever. There are other materials that could have been used to give the same feeling if I were to make this sculpture with something else (newspaper, plastic bottles, cardboard), but considering we are in quarantine I used what I could! You can say that this sculpture is sustainable because it requires no maintenance or monitoring and can last for hundreds of years.

I do agree that if you know that something has a finite amount of time, it does affect the experience you want to get out of it. When talking about human lives, anyone would want the best life that they can get because life is short. There’s no way we could turn back time and relive a moment again. When talking about environmental factors (clean water, air, land) these should definitely be elements that sustain forever. Without these factors we would be able to have a sustainable human life, so it goes hand in hand with each other.

One person alone would not be able to make a dent in a global program for climate change. It is possible for this person to send a message to a decent amount of people, but without help from others to monitor and maintain the work that would be put in, it would not be sustainable. As bad as this sounds, I feel that people only decide to take action when it begins to affect them directly. So we’d just have to wait and see what happens in the future.

I chose Minecraft because I see my little sister playing it all the time. There’s never a dull moment in her eyes when I see her creations come to life. It is an amazing game with no limits to building underwater worlds, zombie islands, and strange statues. I decided to explore the theme of “Real Life Through a Screen” meaning we are able to transfer the image of our environmental scenery into a digital canvas. The three landscapes I chose reflect some things that I have seen personally and through other people’s encounters. Due to the circumstances now we aren’t able to go out and venture through these environments, but through technology that developer’s have made we can get a piece of that moment to imagine what it would be like.

What is important about this world, is that it captures a calming energy that you would see in nature. From the cool toned green to the muted blues in the water, it does remind me of my time when I took a trip to the mountains. There is enough detail to make out where this is supposed to be set in and I appreciate how everything was placed strategically giving me the feeling as if I was taking a hike in the woods.

Out of the three landscapes, this world is my favorite solely because I am a Biology major and I love seeing anything marine related. What is important about this world is that they were able to capture the mystery and fear that lies beneath the ocean waves. Before entering the water, I did feel nervous which is strange because I know nothing could affect my physically. I was safe, but from seeing other people’s experiences in the ocean I couldn’t help but imagine what could happen even through a game. The different shades of light as you progressively move deeper, the algae growing from the sea floor and the animals swimming by, such a nice touch!

The last landscape I chose was this desert oasis. This one definitely has the feeling of heat at first glance. What is important about this world is that some people will immediately say it is a desert, but upon looking at all the detail in the backdrop, it is like an oasis with the vegetation towards the center and scarce amenities as you move farther away. The detail is what makes this world great especially how the villagers are dressed according to their environment.

The goal with my video was to share my love for collecting Funko Pops and I did accomplish my goal! I expressed all the factors that goes into collecting these vinyl figures that I think would encourage others to try it too. If I had to do something different, it would just be to have a more professional setting rather than in my bedroom. I’ve never made a vlog before, so it was a little overwhelming having to edit and watch my video over and over again. I don’t think I would try it again, but I do enjoy watching other people’s content!

My favorite Youtuber would have to be DashieGames. I’m not very much into vlogs or everyday life type of videos. I enjoy watching people play new games on PC/consoles as well as watching other people share their collections too. DashieGames appeals to me because he his extremely funny. He really is a great entertainer and isn’t afraid to try new things that are out of his comfort zone or make him look like a clown.

As we discussed in the zoom lecture, authenticity is real and raw whereas a performance is scripted and practiced. Just by comparing the two words they are definitely opposites, but they can coexist. In my opinion, you will never know if a person is authentic until you’ve spent enough time with them to understand their background, thoughts, motives, and everything in between. The Kardashians show their everyday lives through their TV show as if it was raw and uncut, but at some point it must begin to feel like a performance since you want to put on a good show for the viewers. I don’t believe putting on a performance is wrong, but it could jeopardize how you’d want to be viewed as authentic in the future.

When comparing the two videos, it would feel as if the second video is more authentic because she is in her own space where not all eyes are on her, literally. It’s over a screen where she can feel more comfortable in her own home and they are discussing the pandemic that is happening right now. The first video would definitely feel more like a performance because certain questions or topics are discussed that get a reaction out of the audience at specific times. They are entertaining an audience in front of them. I don’t mind either though, I love Jennifer Aniston!

Out of the 2 drawings, the automatic drawing was the one I most enjoyed. My sister and I were kind of anxious because we wanted to keep this idea in our minds: “don’t think of anything”. It’s hard to just draw without having an end goal in mind. What was it going to look like? Our bodies were stiff like wooden boards, but our arms were like wiggling noodles. We laughed and hoped that we wouldn’t accidentally go outside of the page. When we finally took a look at what we “drew”, it was actually kind of pleasing to look at. It reminded us of a peaceful field of flowers or clovers.

For the Long Beach campus, since I haven’t been there in a while it was actually a challenge to try and come up with the layout. The main distinctive feature I remember is the T-intersection that goes through the main campus. I haven’t explored the whole campus since I’m a Biology major and I’m restricted to only the Science Buildings, so my map is very limited. What I drew is basically what I would see on a daily basis walking to and from classes. I did feel some anxiety when thinking of the fine details, but then I thought: “Well, no one is actually going to use this map”. It is amazing that the mind can recall places and memories at an instant.

Sienna Browne is about to graduate from CSULB with her BFA. Her interests include painting from her past experiences and being a lifeguard as well! Sienna’s paintings portray her past, beginning from high school until now. She talks about how in the beginning she had a couple of ideas, but no concrete vision. As she continued her artwork, she began to see a pattern that stemmed from her eating disorder. After realizing this, she used her paintings as a form of art therapy to recover and hope to become an art teacher!

Sienna’s paintings definitely catch your eye with her vibrant colors and use of line work. She did mention that her artwork is partially abstract. The one painting that caught my attention was when she was explaining her high school paintings. There was a photo of a female with her skeletal form peeking through. The color definitely popped with its vibrancy of hot pink. It had an effect on it as though it was a photo taken with a thermal gun. The line work was had it’s purpose being places intentionally where it needed to be. Not sure how large it is in real life, but even with a small version you can’t miss out on what it is she is trying to portray. Possibly herself?

I really admire how Sienna incorporated her personal experiences into her art pieces. Initially she started off painting just because it was fun and she wanted to make things that interested others. Then she finally realized that her works of art were coming subconsciously from her eating disorder and she didn’t even notice! As you see her paintings from when she first started until now, there is a growth from her. She wasn’t afraid to hide any of the pain or frustration that she went through. In her most recent paintings she wants to celebrate her recovery and her graduation to move on to the next step in her life. Her use of colors draws the viewer in, but then when you really look at the piece it’s something more meaningful. She states that she doesn’t have just one source of inspiration, but many thoughts and ideas and she would love to help others in the future to use art to express their battles.

I can relate with Sienna in that we don’t realize we have a problem until we come face to face with it, and with Sienna I am glad she was able to essentially get saved through her art. Her paintings definitely gave me some hope that I can overcome my struggles, even if it takes a couple tries. Seeing the timeline from when she first began to where she is now is already so striking in that before our eyes we are seeing how this person is changing through life. I appreciate how she took something dark and made it into something light.

[Verse 1]

Still standing here

With my eyes closed

A different path

I need to find my way


[Verse 2]

A touch of peace

I want to feel

Don’t lose the path

Don’t leave me alone


[Chorus]

I push without rest

I push to find you

I push without rest

To find a love like you


[Verse 3]

Moving in circles

Seasons are changing

Where do I go?

For a glimpse of you


[Chorus]

I push without rest

I push to find you

I push without rest

To find a love like you

1. What were you trying to think about in your song?

I was trying to think about how maturing is difficult when we have to grow up and figure out our life. Whether it be finding a job, school, or love. There’s never a definite outcome to any decision we make in life, but we’d all like to hope that everything will go as we planned it to.

2. What was your process for writing your song?

The process for writing this song was just from my own personal experiences. I’ve had a lot of failures in my life where I feel completely lost and I’m just yearning for any type of success. A motivation that I’ve seen for a lot of people is to have a fulfilling life, but it doesn’t always turn out that way. There are definitely some goals that I try to reach, but just can never make the cut.

3. Was it easy? Hard? What you expected? Surprising?

This process was definitely hard because I was trying to condense a lot of ideas into the right words/phrases. I’m surprised that I actually wrote a song (this is my first time) but it’s as good as I can make it. I didn’t want to make a cheesy version about love and relationships. I wanted to make it personal.

4. How successful do you think your song is?

I’m not sure how successful my song could be. To me, I’m proud of it. Nowadays there are songs on the radio that repeat the same lines over and over again with noise in the background and they are hits. I guess it would really just depend on the person who would like to hear it.

5. Do you think you will ever write another song?

I don’t think I’ll be coming up with another jingle in a while, but it was a fun experience. I’ll be sticking to what I know which is just chemistry and biology terms lol.

6. If you did write another song, what do you think it might be about?

If I did write another song, I think it would have to be about myself and how I’d like to see myself grow more as a person. I believe that there is room for improvement with anyone.

• Why did you choose this idea?

I chose this idea because it really shocked me to see this interpretation of this subject from a little 2nd grader and also how well it was done technically. Plus, she’s presenting such a grim topic with a smile… It’s a topic that should be more widely discussed in the world and shouldn’t be ignored even if it isn’t affecting our daily lives. It doesn’t mean it isn’t happening!

• What did you hope to communicate?

I hope to communicate that if an elementary child can reflect a topic in such a detailed way, then there’s no excuse for the grown ups to not step up and discuss it too! There are still people in the world that believe global warming is a myth (even after years of scientific research), resources are endless, and everything is okay when it’s not. We are all slowly destroying the planet and consuming resources faster than we can replenish them. As long as there are children that are knowledgable, like her, there is hope for the future.

• How successful do you think you were?

I think that I was pretty successful in conveying what I wanted to show. Some people might look at the picture and think, “What a beautiful drawing!”, but I hope that when they step back and really see what this little girl is trying to show, with a smile, it will shock the viewer.

• What would you do different if you did it again?

If I were to do this again, I would probably use a better camera! But I do love how raw and real the image is. It’s not planned or posed.

• What is another idea you might explore through “shocking art”?

Through shocking art I would explore obesity in America. A very odd topic, but I don’t think enough people talk about the health problems that arise from obesity and that it shouldn’t be normal for people to eat themselves to death! We only get one life.

• Why did you choose this story?

I chose this story because it is a topic I have always been very passionate about. For most of my school years I had never struck an emotion like this, so to get an opportunity to talk about it makes me really happy.

• How do you think you did?

I think I captured what I wanted to portray and so I’m satisfied. I hope you see it too!

• Which image do you think is the individually “best” image in your story?

The photo that really hits me is the 3rd photo. The fact that these homes were built literally on the edge of a cliff baffles me. Of course, if you have money go ahead and do what you please, but to disturb a natural habitat just for pleasure? My blood boils. Most people are uneducated about what actually needs to be done to get these million dollar houses in these areas.

• Does your photo-story contain an image that you think is not, by itself, a “great” image, but that is nonetheless important because it helps to tell your story?

I honestly can’t pick a photo that I’m not proud of. I think if each photo were alone they would still be able to some extent express the story I want to tell.

• What would you do different next time?

Next time I would probably go to a more populated beach to get a bigger picture of how we as humans are hurting the environment, but even at a small scale like this it’s sad to see that there’s still some sort of change going on.

• Are there other Photo Stories you might like to tell?

I would like to show the effects of animal abuse even though it is a touchy topic, or even how animals are kept in captivity for entertainment. Anything in the biology field I would love to talk about.