Fujii-Oka followed her ancestors footsteps in an inspirational environment of the botanical, working alongside her father growing beautiful plants and flowers. A self-taught artist, she began painting in her youth. Her career spanned decades as she was juggling family life, work, and school. In 2007, she proudly graduated with a Bachelor in Fine Arts with honors at UC Berkeley.
As a Sansei, (third generation Japanese American), Fujii-Oka explores her Japanese heritage. Her work focuses on the Japanese incarceration and the injustice of all people of Japanese descent. Fujii-Oka honors and brings light into the lives of her family and those who were imprisoned during WWll. She expresses her sentiment and compassion through her art by sharing personal stories and how it relates to the present day. Through her research and work, she expands on her spiritual process and practice of meditation, which assists her to make art that heals. Her interdisciplinary artwork investigates themes of incarceration, immigration, culture, identity, and spirituality, which has become a birthplace of healing as her emotional voice and her ancestors find expression. As she researched her ancestors, so much pain was unearthed. She is on a mission to keep these stories alive, so that the atrocities of prejudice, inhumane treatment and deceit by our government cease to repeat itself.
Now residing in the San Francisco bay, she continues her artistic journey. She thrives on walks in nature, spending time with her family and grandchildren, friends, and her beloved Pekingese dog.
RESUME
GROUP EXHIBITIONS and PRESENTATIONS:
Madame Butterfly Collection, images licensed for Puccini's Madame Butterfly Opera, Jackson Hole, Wyoming 2023
Madame Butterfly Collection, SFWA Gallery, SF, CA 2023
Jade Wave Rising, SOMArts Gallery, presented by AAWAA & APICC, SF, CA 2023
Sansei Granddaughter's Presentation, California College of Arts, 2022
Open Circle, Lindsay Dirkx Gallery, CA Curator: Pallavi Sharma, San Ramon 2022
Sansei Granddaughters, "From Resistance to Remembrance", AZ Gallery, San Bruno, CA 2022
Artist's Salon Group Exhibit, SF Woman Artist's Gallery, SF, CA 2022
Dollhouse, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2022
Sparcx, Arc's 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2021
Scapes, City, Land & Sea, SF Woman Artist's Gallery, Juried, SF, CA 2021
Sansei Artists Presentation - Film Documentary on JA incarceration, Jsei, Emeryville, CA 2018
Sansei Artists, Ephemeral Glimpses Behind the Barbed Wire, Manzanar, CA 2018
Year of the Dog, Chinese Cultural Center, Curator: Leon Sun, SF, CA 2018
Message in a Bottle, Palace of Fine Arts, Juried, SF, CA 2018
Identity, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2016
Artspan, SF, CA 2015
Running with Scissors, Art on 30th, San Diego, CA 2015
Artspan, SF, CA 2014
Hotel Triton, SF, 2014
Our American Stories, Madeleine Hass Russell Gallery, SF, 2014
Flo Wong’s 75th & Group Exhibit, Luggage Store Gallery, SF 2013
Visual Harmoney,Village Theater Art Gallery, 2013
Day of the Dead, SomArts, Curators Rene Yanez & Rio Yanez, SF 2012
40 Watts NCWCA,Pacific Art League, Palo Alto 2012
One Year After Benefit, Mission SJ, Fremont CA 2012
Day of the Dead, SomArts, Curators Rene Yanez & Rio Yanez, SF 2011
Visual Arts Showcase, City Hall, Curator: Pamela Wu, SF 2011
Serenity Winter, UCSF Womens Health, Curator Matt McKinley, S.F. 2011
Driftwood Salon, A Place of Her Own, San Francisco, 2010
Re-Claim, SomArts Cultural Center, Curator: Pamela Wu, S.F. 2010
March, Vita Art Center- Ventura Juried 2010
Yearning to Breath Free, USF, School of Law, S.F. Juried 2010
A Place of Her Own, SomArts Cultural Center, S.F. 2009
Hybridity- SomArts Cultural Center, S.F. 2009
Residency Workshop at De Young Museum, AAWAA, S.F. 2009
Transformation, Brava Theatre, Curator: Diane Rea, S.F. 2009
Family Day, AAWAA Artist Demo, De Young Museum, S.F. 2008
Cheers to Muses, St. Lukes Hospital (Cardivascular Center), S.F. 2008
Dyslexic Cake, Worth Ryder Gallery, UC Berkeley, 2007
Fired at Davis, Ceramic exhibit, UC Davis, 2006
Ceramic Dept. Group Show Worth Ryder Gallery, UC Berkeley, 2006
Small Works, Atlantic Gallery, NYC 2002
Broom Street Gallery, Juried NYC 2002
Monique Goldstrom Gallery, NYC 2001
Two Person Exhibit ,Atlantic Gallery, NYC 2001
International Women Artists, 1 Market Plaza, S.F. CA 2001
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
Ocean series, Rosenblum Cellars @ Jack London Square, CA 2018
Birds of a Feather, Rosenblum Cellars, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 2017
Oceanscapes (Solo Lobby Exhibit), Firehouse Arts Center, Curator: Julie Finegan, Pleasanton, CA 2015
Nature Paintings, Addison St. Windows, Curator: Greg Morozumi, Berkeley, CA 2013
Alamo Square Seafood & Grill, Curator: Samantha Meyers, SF, CA 2011
Ki, 2223 Restaurant, Curator: Matt McKinley, SF, CA 2011
Kingyo, Yamagami's Nursery, Cupertino, CA 1999
MEDIA
DisOrient Film Festival, Sansei Artists film documentary, Oregon, 2021
Stop the Hate, PSA video, Kerwin Berk, Ikeibi Films, 2021
A Conversation, Westly Uenuten Sansei Artists on JA Internment, SF 2020
Sansei Granddaughter's Film Documentary, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Fest, 2020
Say Their Names Video, Kerwin Berk, Ikeibi Films, 2020
Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene, Zoom Artist Interview, 2020
EDUCATION:
AA, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
BA Arts, University of California; Berkeley, CA
AFFILIATIONS:
Sansei Grandaughters, 2018 to 2023
AAWAA Asian American Women Artists Association, SF, CA 2008 to 2022
As a Sansei, (third generation Japanese American), Fujii-Oka explores her Japanese heritage. Her work focuses on the Japanese incarceration and the injustice of all people of Japanese descent. Fujii-Oka honors and brings light into the lives of her family and those who were imprisoned during WWll. She expresses her sentiment and compassion through her art by sharing personal stories and how it relates to the present day. Through her research and work, she expands on her spiritual process and practice of meditation, which assists her to make art that heals. Her interdisciplinary artwork investigates themes of incarceration, immigration, culture, identity, and spirituality, which has become a birthplace of healing as her emotional voice and her ancestors find expression. As she researched her ancestors, so much pain was unearthed. She is on a mission to keep these stories alive, so that the atrocities of prejudice, inhumane treatment and deceit by our government cease to repeat itself.
Now residing in the San Francisco bay, she continues her artistic journey. She thrives on walks in nature, spending time with her family and grandchildren, friends, and her beloved Pekingese dog.
RESUME
GROUP EXHIBITIONS and PRESENTATIONS:
Madame Butterfly Collection, images licensed for Puccini's Madame Butterfly Opera, Jackson Hole, Wyoming 2023
Madame Butterfly Collection, SFWA Gallery, SF, CA 2023
Jade Wave Rising, SOMArts Gallery, presented by AAWAA & APICC, SF, CA 2023
Sansei Granddaughter's Presentation, California College of Arts, 2022
Open Circle, Lindsay Dirkx Gallery, CA Curator: Pallavi Sharma, San Ramon 2022
Sansei Granddaughters, "From Resistance to Remembrance", AZ Gallery, San Bruno, CA 2022
Artist's Salon Group Exhibit, SF Woman Artist's Gallery, SF, CA 2022
Dollhouse, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2022
Sparcx, Arc's 10 Year Anniversary Exhibition, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2021
Scapes, City, Land & Sea, SF Woman Artist's Gallery, Juried, SF, CA 2021
Sansei Artists Presentation - Film Documentary on JA incarceration, Jsei, Emeryville, CA 2018
Sansei Artists, Ephemeral Glimpses Behind the Barbed Wire, Manzanar, CA 2018
Year of the Dog, Chinese Cultural Center, Curator: Leon Sun, SF, CA 2018
Message in a Bottle, Palace of Fine Arts, Juried, SF, CA 2018
Identity, Arc Gallery, SF, CA 2016
Artspan, SF, CA 2015
Running with Scissors, Art on 30th, San Diego, CA 2015
Artspan, SF, CA 2014
Hotel Triton, SF, 2014
Our American Stories, Madeleine Hass Russell Gallery, SF, 2014
Flo Wong’s 75th & Group Exhibit, Luggage Store Gallery, SF 2013
Visual Harmoney,Village Theater Art Gallery, 2013
Day of the Dead, SomArts, Curators Rene Yanez & Rio Yanez, SF 2012
40 Watts NCWCA,Pacific Art League, Palo Alto 2012
One Year After Benefit, Mission SJ, Fremont CA 2012
Day of the Dead, SomArts, Curators Rene Yanez & Rio Yanez, SF 2011
Visual Arts Showcase, City Hall, Curator: Pamela Wu, SF 2011
Serenity Winter, UCSF Womens Health, Curator Matt McKinley, S.F. 2011
Driftwood Salon, A Place of Her Own, San Francisco, 2010
Re-Claim, SomArts Cultural Center, Curator: Pamela Wu, S.F. 2010
March, Vita Art Center- Ventura Juried 2010
Yearning to Breath Free, USF, School of Law, S.F. Juried 2010
A Place of Her Own, SomArts Cultural Center, S.F. 2009
Hybridity- SomArts Cultural Center, S.F. 2009
Residency Workshop at De Young Museum, AAWAA, S.F. 2009
Transformation, Brava Theatre, Curator: Diane Rea, S.F. 2009
Family Day, AAWAA Artist Demo, De Young Museum, S.F. 2008
Cheers to Muses, St. Lukes Hospital (Cardivascular Center), S.F. 2008
Dyslexic Cake, Worth Ryder Gallery, UC Berkeley, 2007
Fired at Davis, Ceramic exhibit, UC Davis, 2006
Ceramic Dept. Group Show Worth Ryder Gallery, UC Berkeley, 2006
Small Works, Atlantic Gallery, NYC 2002
Broom Street Gallery, Juried NYC 2002
Monique Goldstrom Gallery, NYC 2001
Two Person Exhibit ,Atlantic Gallery, NYC 2001
International Women Artists, 1 Market Plaza, S.F. CA 2001
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
Ocean series, Rosenblum Cellars @ Jack London Square, CA 2018
Birds of a Feather, Rosenblum Cellars, Jack London Square, Oakland, CA 2017
Oceanscapes (Solo Lobby Exhibit), Firehouse Arts Center, Curator: Julie Finegan, Pleasanton, CA 2015
Nature Paintings, Addison St. Windows, Curator: Greg Morozumi, Berkeley, CA 2013
Alamo Square Seafood & Grill, Curator: Samantha Meyers, SF, CA 2011
Ki, 2223 Restaurant, Curator: Matt McKinley, SF, CA 2011
Kingyo, Yamagami's Nursery, Cupertino, CA 1999
MEDIA
DisOrient Film Festival, Sansei Artists film documentary, Oregon, 2021
Stop the Hate, PSA video, Kerwin Berk, Ikeibi Films, 2021
A Conversation, Westly Uenuten Sansei Artists on JA Internment, SF 2020
Sansei Granddaughter's Film Documentary, Silicon Valley Asian Pacific Film Fest, 2020
Say Their Names Video, Kerwin Berk, Ikeibi Films, 2020
Contemporary Asian Theatre Scene, Zoom Artist Interview, 2020
EDUCATION:
AA, De Anza College, Cupertino, CA
BA Arts, University of California; Berkeley, CA
AFFILIATIONS:
Sansei Grandaughters, 2018 to 2023
AAWAA Asian American Women Artists Association, SF, CA 2008 to 2022