NANCY UYEMURA

Age: 71

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA

Generation: 3rd - Sansei

Biography: Nancy Uyemura, born in Los Angeles, received a B.A. in Art from UCLA and an M.S. from USC. She studied in Japan and at Otis Art Institute, worked both in education and in the corporate area of Mrs. Gooch’s Natural Food Stores, all while making her own art and running a gallery in DTLA. Nancy has shown locally and in Asia and has a number of public commissions in California, as well as one in Japan. She has been active in the downtown community and in Little Tokyo. Nancy participates in feng shui and energy-clearing, writes poetry, and paints. Recently evicted from her downtown studio of 34 years due to gentrification, she is transitioning into a new phase of life and art.

Name of Piece: Along Came A Spider

The artwork was inspired by the writing of a brilliant and talented young woman, Julia White, who committed suicide in 1994. In commemoration of her life, 29 artists from around the world read her poems and collaborated to produce visual art and poetry in response to them. A dialogue evolved between Julia and the artists. Although the artists never met her, through her poetry, their lives were profoundly touched and continue to touch others like the ripples emanating from a single drop of water on a still pond. I was fortunate enough to be one of those artists.