Los Angeles-based artist Audrey Kawasaki was inspired by the manga she read from an early age, as well as by ukiyo-e and Art Nouveau. While studying fine art at the Pratt Institute, she developed a unique style that has gained her a wide following. Her wood paintings of delicate, beautiful girls caught in dreamlike worlds draw the viewer in with their simultaneously erotic and melancholy atmospheres. These macabre beauties represent the struggle between vulnerability and inner strength that characterizes her work just as much as her precise lines and dusty colors. Despite their varied appearances, they all represent Kawasaki’s muse, the ideal yet unobtainable woman she believes to be reflected in all of her pieces. Kawasaki’s art has shown across the world, from Outre Gallery in Australia to Roq la Rue in Seattle.

Audrey Kawasaki is one of three artists featured in the exhibition, Supernatural: The Art of Audrey Kawasaki, Edwin Ushiro, and Timothy Teruo Watters (February 9 through March 17, 2013, at the Japanese American National Museum).

This album shares some of her works. 

For other artists at Supernatural, please check out the following articles on Discover Nikkei.

• Supernatural and the Salon Pop Series: Engaging Next-Generation Audiences with Art and Pop Culture >> (Published 1/25/2013)
• The Artist as Ghost Hunter: Edwin Ushiro and Envisioning Spirits >> (Published 2/4/2013)
• Timothy Teruo Watters: Following an Artist’s Footsteps >> (Published 2/20/2013)