On Exhibit in Taproot’s Kendall Center Lobby

“I owe my lifelong love of painting to my ojichan and obaachan, who were both working artists. Growing up biracial and a second-generation American, I often felt caught in the in-between, sometimes feeling “too American to be Japanese” and other times “too Japanese to be American.” This push-and-pull shows up in my work: nostalgia, a search for belonging, and the comfort of returning home are recurring themes in my paintings.

I work primarily in oil paint, a slow-drying and multilayered process that I find calming in an increasingly fast-paced world. Lately, I’ve been drawn to floral still life and ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of floral arranging, as the subject for my paintings. I love sharing the quiet intimacy of everyday moments that might otherwise go overlooked.”

—Gina Ariko

Gina Ariko is a Japanese American artist based in Seattle. Growing up, she spent most of her summers visiting family in Kokura, Japan, where her ojichan (grandfather) and obaachan (grandmother) first taught her to paint. Despite the language and distance barriers between them, they learned to connect through a shared love of painting. Her interest in art and storytelling overlapped at Santa Clara University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in both English and studio art, as well as a minor in art history. After graduation, Gina worked in marketing, events, and community development before pursuing art full-time in 2020. Since then, she has exhibited her artwork across the US and Japan and is currently represented by Gallery 110 in Seattle. In addition to her studio practice, Gina is a freelance floral designer and art teacher.

Works in the exhibition are available for sale unless marked by a red dot. View more works by Gina Ariko at ginaariko.com where you can contact the artist to enquire about purchases.

—Gina Cavallo, Curator & Director of Development