In the Exhibition Particles, Multi-Disciplinary Artist Teruko Nimura will showcase samples of three bodies of work she is currently exploring on the nature of being Mixed Asian American. The first is a series of ink and gouache paintings layered with hand cut kimono patterns on film that

 ponder the mystery of her relationship to Japanese culture. The second body is small ceramic and mixed media sculptures inspired by collectible figurines and artifacts of Japanese Americans. Finally, a  meditation in functional pottery playing with the simplicity of form, surface and material.

Artist Biography:

Teruko Nimura (b. 1978, based in University Place, Washington) creates work with an interest in experiential discovery through active viewership and self reflection. Her multi-media practice includes installations, sculptural objects, layered drawings, and public art projects that consider

the relationship to the body and the contextual specifics of space. She is interested in themes of interconnectedness, collective memory and trauma, cultural, racial, and female visibility, motherhood, and the climate crisis. Her varied explorations of mediums and methods are united by an emphasis on process, with the intentional use of multiples and repetition as ritualistic study. She has an appreciation for the language of materials and the vulnerability in the variations and flaws of handmade objects.

Teruko received her BFA from San Francisco Art Institute and her MFA from UT Austin. She has exhibited in the U.S., Mexico, and Canada. She was an OX-Bow School of Art Fellow (2007), a mentee artist in the City of Austin’s Launchpad program for emerging public artists (2018-19), featured in the TX Biennial (2017), and one of five Austin artists invited to create work for New York City Highline’s multi-city exhibition “New Monuments for New Cities" (2019). Since moving from Austin she was a City of Tacoma Public Art Reaching Community artist (2020) and featured in the Bellwether Arts Festival in Bellevue (2021). Teruko is currently working on a community art project for Fall of 2022 in support of Tacoma's Greening initiative, an interactive, multi-phase arts project in San Francisco commemorating the beloved Japanese American poet, playwright, and activist Hiroshi Kashiwagi, and a solo exhibition atTacoma's Brooks Studio both set to launch in 2023.

Opening reception: Thursday, February 15th, 2023 from 5:30PM-7:30PM.