Sumire Kudo

Master of Fine Arts candidate at Laguna College of Art and Design.

Born in Japan. Learned traditional art techniques at Joshibi University of Art and Design in Japan, which has a history of over 100 years of art education. After graduation, I learned fine art at The Los Angeles Academy of Figurative Art (LAAFA), The Safehouse Atelier, and The Kline Academy of Fine Art in Los Angeles to further my skills.

My paintings focus on people’s subconscious dynamics that shape society. Our ethics, logic, and aesthetics are highly dependent on the environment to which we belong. When in one community such as a country, family, ethnicity, or generation, people may hold beliefs that feel like “common sense” to the people who belong, but those same beliefs often seem odd to people from another community. Our beliefs and feelings are so embedded in our lives that people are not even aware of their oddness. Through my paintings, I want people to become aware of the “common sense” that subconsciously controls them.  Through my paintings, I want to reveal that, without question, people’s destiny is controlled by socially imposed values. I want viewers to believe in themselves even if their beliefs and value systems are different from those in their inner circle.

 

* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16^th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.