Miki Yokoyama makes ethereal illustrations on 2D and 3D surfaces that explore the profundity of life and allude to the interconnectedness of all beings. She is an NRA 2020 grant recipient and today she joins us on the show to speak about her work and the process that inspires it. For Miki, the idea of all lives beginning, intertwining, and ending in an infinite universe is deeply profound. It is a notion that is beyond words, a force that can only be expressed visually, thus becoming the subject matter behind her art. Miki tells us the story of how this feeling grew inside her until one day she had to let it out, and how her creative process began to evolve after that, beginning with a Sharpie and incorporating color, objects, and life drawing into it as time moved on. We hear about what goes through Miki’s mind when she makes art, and she talks about ‘becoming nothing’, letting her mind roam free, and where the images and symbols that flow through her onto the canvas in that state could come from. We talk about the idea that art is much more than just painting, what music Miki likes to listen to as she works, and other integral parts of her process such as dance. For a profound conversation about using art to channel the life force, be sure to tune in today.

Key Points From This Episode:

• The roots of Miki’s ethereal art and how she channels essences by working from her heart.
• Miki’s process involving drawing and how old she was when she started making art.
• The profound, metaphysical ideas about life and the world that made Miki want to start making art.
• Perceived reality as a reflection of your inner state which is shaped by your environment.
• How art and music can help us clear the feelings we have inside ourselves.
• Miki’s discomfort after incorporating color into her work and how she overcame it.
• The creative tendencies of Miki’s parents and her thoughts on taking after them.
• Art as something bigger than painting and how this idea influences Miki’s process.
• Miki’s subconscious thought process as she paints and how her birthplace influences it.
• How Miki wanted to study art and music and why her parents were reluctant to allow this.
• Miki’s experiences studying English at university, meeting her husband, and why she came to America.
• The language of the heart and how it allows us to communicate beyond language.
• Current projects Miki is involved with; an online art show and a storybook.
• How Miki deals with the commercial side of her art business.
• Miki’s incorporation of fabric and life drawing into her art and how this fits into her view of art.
• Which music inspires Miki the most and what she likes listening to while working.
• The process of Miki moving from making 2D to 3D objects.
• How Miki heard about the NRA grant and how she felt when she got awarded it.

For more information and photos, visit here: https://notrealart.com/miki-yokoyama

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