* All images used with permission. Please do not distribute without first contacting the artist.
JUURI was born in Tokyo, Japan on Christmas Eve 1983 and moved with her family to the USA when she was six years old. She signs her Japanese-themed work “JUURI” (??), which is her Japanese given name and equivalent to the English name “Julie.”
JUURI has loved drawing since she could hold a pencil. Her entire childhood was filled with drawing and creating, from illustrated stories to “replica” props and costumes from her favorite films. She sold her first painting when she was 13 years old.
Since her decision to pursue fine art seriously in 2010, JUURI has made an impression showing her mixed media paintings both in Oklahoma, where she currently resides, and Southern California. She continues to sell art to clients around the country and around the globe. Her ultimate goal is to take her artistic venture back to her home “town” of Tokyo.
She explains her work by saying, “My Japanese heritage is the primary inspiration for my work. It manifests itself in realistic watercolor faces surrounded by cultural elements, pattern or flora, and deep symbolism pertaining to my inner struggles at the time of painting. As a person of mixed geographic upbringing, I am endlessly fascinated by my view of Japanese elements as both an insider and outsider. I hope viewers are both mesmerized by my luscious images and left with many questions to ponder themselves through the symbolism and color in the paintings.”
