Born in Japan and raised in the Bay Area, Maya Fuji is inspired by both her cultural heritage as well as the local microcosms of the SF Bay Area. She is fascinated by themes of traditional Japanese mythology and folklore, and blends these with her own experiences of being issei (first generation) in the United States. A recurring theme in her work is the exploration of what creates our sense of identity, and how that can shift over ones life. Soft feminine figures float through her work, encompassing abstraction, vulnerability, and mystique. She layers pops of color and shape to explore themes of passing time, and to contemplate hidden meanings in the lore of her ancestors. Each piece has a story to tell — historical legends, lessons and ghost stories of the floating world era, reimagined through the lens of the digital age.
