Michiko Murakami
Los Angeles, CALIFORNIA, USA
Michiko Murakami, at her studio in Los Angeles, 2020
Michiko Murakami, Everything Is OK, 2019. Sumi ink on paper, ceramic. Frame 18” H x 23” W. Sculpture: 11” H x 10” W x 8” D
Michiko Murakami,Waiting, 2017. Hand-built ceramic, cone 6. 18” H x 8” W x 8” D
As an analyst for the City of Los Angeles, I was extremely fortunate to have the privilege of working from home when the pandemic hit in mid-March. Just as I was getting used to working remotely, and assisting my department with COVID-19- related emergency responses, we watched—in horror—the murder of George Floyd. The call for social justice and racial equity was resounding, and this too is being diligently addressed through my civil service work.
Though I have been busier than ever, the various modes of isolation have killed off all my social obligations—a great relief. It has allowed me the time and space to digest current events and to approach my work in a way that brings me joy and meaning. Also, developing a daily self-care routine has proven beneficial to my general health and well-being. I want to be around plants all the time now. Looking at growth has kept things positive. A lot of my focus has been on pots for plants which progressed into thoughts about how I could grow plants on my sculptures. And then I found an old bag of chia seeds…
I grew up in the 1980s and I remember those Chia Pet commercials that fascinated and repulsed me in equal measure. They were genuinely ugly, but it was kind of cool that you could watch a Chia Pet grow. I never had one, but ironically I’ve ended up making my own Chia things decades later. Perhaps I am attracted to the lull of more innocent times as a way of counteracting the looming instability ahead.
Michiko Murakami, Uh-Oh Hot Dog (14” H x 12” W x 2” D) / Mothra (13.5” H x 7” W x 7” D) / DumpLing (3” H x 4.5” W x 3” D), all 2017. Hand-built ceramic, fired to Cone 6.
During the Lockdown, Michiko MURAKAMI has been embracing a slower pace, and uSING this collectively-difficult TIME as a period of decompression and reflecTion on how she thinks about and approaches her work.
Michiko Murakami, Oscar – Day 3, 2020. Bisque fired terra cotta, sprouted chia. 8” H x 12” W x 10” L
Michiko Murakami, Oscar – Day 7, 2020. Bisque fired terra cotta, sprouted chia. 8” H x 12” W x 10” L
Michiko Murakami, Cactus Rock - Day 3, 2020. Bisque-fired terra cotta, chia seeds. 22” H x 12” W x 10” D
Michiko Murakami, Oscar – Day 9 2020. Bisque fired terra cotta, sprouted chia. 8” H x 12” W x 10” L
Michiko Murakami, Cactus Rock with Ghillie Suit, 2020. Bisque-fired terra cotta, sprouted chia (dried). 22” H x 12” W x 10” D