Yumiko Furukawa (born in 1975 in Fukushima, Japan) is a Japanese contemporary artist, painter, and sculptor based in Guam and Tokyo.
In the early years of her artistic journey, spanning from 2000 to 2010, her creative endeavors encompassed drawings, paintings, sculptures, installations, and performances that were a bridge between literature and the visual arts, exploring how language shapes knowledge and communication.
However, after experiencing natural disasters such as the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, the theme of her work shifted dramatically. These unforeseen events provided the impetus for the creation of new art. At the same time, She realized that artists were creating works that seemed to predict changes in the world from the collective consciousness of the living. Her current focus is on life and death, as well as life’s connection to the universe.
Furukawa’s works are created using a variety of materials including pencil, paper, watercolor, oil, wood, ceramic, resin, fabric, and spray coating. These works simultaneously possess opposing characteristics: black and white, hard and soft, opaque and translucent, geometric and organic shapes. While maintaining a sense of intimacy with the viewer, they also maintain a sense of distance, giving them a mysterious presence. She deeply believes that these magical works of art have the power to change the world for the better.
Paintings that connect to the universe, sculptures to stand on the earth
Why do paintings reflect the future?
And why do sculptures give birth to the earth?
The answer is that art confronts contemporary social and cultural challenges and fulfills its mission to show the direction of the future. With their art, the artist speaks for the collective consciousness of the people, leading them to a form of compassion, healing, and compassion.
I am working far away from my hometown, Fukushima. It is also a long way from New York, where I have lived for a long time. Guam is a small remote island in the Pacific Ocean, and the horizon seen from the window in front of me is connected to every continent on earth. Therefore, it is on remote islands that aspects of contemporary society first appear. Natural disasters caused by global and climatic changes cannot be prevented by island dwellers. Like nature, which cannot be controlled, the acceleration of humanity cannot be controlled either.
In my studio in Guam, I can faintly hear the sound of the air conditioner’s outdoor unit, my pencil scratching on the paper, and my brush spinning in the glass bottle washer. My work is born from the experience of living on such an island. As an artist, through my paintings and sculptures, I express a spiritual world that moves between reality and the otherworld, and I draw with the memory of the landscape as if it were an automatic writing. Who knows if my creative process corresponds to what André Breton experienced as “surrealist automatism” in 1920. In my studio, however, I continue to work in a state of “automatic writing” or “free writing”. And on the night I drew someone’s eye, Typhoon Marwar made landfall. All of these inspirations, from the connection of coincidence and inevitability, lead me to the finished work. And as the physicality of the self separates from the spirit, my sense of touch becomes hypersensitive and the sculpture is molded. I feel the weight and the slippery texture of the clay, shaping the cells and the sea. Then, in my friend’s studio in Japan, feeling the horizon, I pour chemical resins colored from sunrise to sunset, piling them up like the strata of the earth.
The earth gives birth to the sculpture and connects it to my own body; the universe tries to connect with my spirit through the paintings. That is why I create my work.
February 5, 2024
Yumiko Furukawa
Paintings that connect to the universe, sculptures to stand on the earth
Why do paintings reflect the future?
And why do sculptures give birth to the earth?
The answer is that art confronts contemporary social and cultural challenges and fulfills its mission to show the direction of the future. With their art, the artist speaks for the collective consciousness of the people, leading them to a form of compassion, healing, and compassion.
I am working far away from my hometown, Fukushima. It is also a long way from New York, where I have lived for a long time. Guam is a small remote island in the Pacific Ocean, and the horizon seen from the window in front of me is connected to every continent on earth. Therefore, it is on remote islands that aspects of contemporary society first appear. Natural disasters caused by global and climatic changes cannot be prevented by island dwellers. Like nature, which cannot be controlled, the acceleration of humanity cannot be controlled either.
In my studio in Guam, I can faintly hear the sound of the air conditioner’s outdoor unit, my pencil scratching on the paper, and my brush spinning in the glass bottle washer. My work is born from the experience of living on such an island. As an artist, through my paintings and sculptures, I express a spiritual world that moves between reality and the otherworld, and I draw with the memory of the landscape as if it were an automatic writing. Who knows if my creative process corresponds to what André Breton experienced as “surrealist automatism” in 1920. In my studio, however, I continue to work in a state of “automatic writing” or “free writing”. And on the night I drew someone’s eye, Typhoon Marwar made landfall. All of these inspirations, from the connection of coincidence and inevitability, lead me to the finished work. And as the physicality of the self separates from the spirit, my sense of touch becomes hypersensitive and the sculpture is molded. I feel the weight and the slippery texture of the clay, shaping the cells and the sea. Then, in my friend’s studio in Japan, feeling the horizon, I pour chemical resins colored from sunrise to sunset, piling them up like the strata of the earth.
The earth gives birth to the sculpture and connects it to my own body; the universe tries to connect with my spirit through the paintings. That is why I create my work.
February 5, 2024
Yumiko Furukawa
Recent Works
In 2019, Furukawa moved to Guam, drawn by the island’s beautiful landscape and cultural attractions. Inspired by her new surroundings, she created a new series of pencil drawings, “Changing Sea,” and in 2023, her unique talents were highlighted in the Guam region with her solo exhibition “Pressure” at Guam CAHA Gallery. She is inspired by the life force of the earth against the backdrop of Guam’s spectacular nature, which she uses as inspiration for her daily work.
In the future, Furukawa’s artistic eye will be directed not only to Guam, but also to Fukushima, Tokyo, New York, and other areas with which she is closely connected.
2019
Tokyo Independent 2019 | Chinretsukan Gallery, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Art, Tokyo | April 18 – May 5, 2019
2018
Zeno Woman | Fukushima Biennale 2018 | Adachigahara Furusato Mura, Nihonmatsu-city, Fukushima, Japan | October 13 – November 4, 2018
2017
Through the Glass | The Project “Glass Futuristic History”, AGC Asahi Glass Company x Tokyo University of the Arts | Tokyo University of the Arts Yuga Gallery, Tokyo | May 15 – 20, 2017
2015
Mishima Waraku: Harmonious Three Islands | Workshop View | Morinohakobune Art Project | IORI Club, Mishima city, Oonuma, Fukushima October 5, November 10, 2014 January 25, 2015
2013
Chobozekka: The sole place where you can see matchless views | Setouchi Art Triennale 2013, Shodoshima, Kagawa, Japan | March 20 – April 21, Summer: July 20 – September 1, October 5 – November 4, 2013
2011
Asaja: Snake Morning Tea | Aizu Urushi Art festival 2011: Yell to Tohoku | Restaurant Tsuki to Ohisama, Kitakata, Fukushima, Japan | October 1 – November 3, 2011
2010
Art Reviews Drawings | Studio Yumiko Furukawa, New York | May 8 − 10, 2010
2009
QUOTATION | ISE Cultural Foundation, New York | January 7 – February 20, 2009
2007
May | International Studio and Curatorial Program | New York | May 4 − 7, 2007
2006
FLICKER | Gallery Side 2, Tokyo, Japan | December 22 − January 26, 2006
2005
Tent for Poet | Japan, Scotland, Taiwan and Portugal represented in Group Show at Location One | Location One, New York | June 4 − July 30, 2005
2003
Awafuku and Komefuku: Cinderella Story in Tokamachi City | Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial 2003 | Nurigi Butsudan Shop, Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan | July 20 – September 7, 2003
2001
Titanic Daisy | Gallery Side 2, Tokyo, Japan | May 29 – June 22, 2001
2000
Reading Book Series | room, Gentilly, France | October 28 – December 4, 2000
Recent Works
In 2019, Furukawa moved to Guam, drawn by the island’s beautiful landscape and cultural attractions. Inspired by her new surroundings, she created a new series of pencil drawings, “Changing Sea,” and in 2023, her unique talents were highlighted in the Guam region with her solo exhibition “Pressure” at Guam CAHA Gallery. She is inspired by the life force of the earth against the backdrop of Guam’s spectacular nature, which she uses as inspiration for her daily work.
In the future, Furukawa’s artistic eye will be directed not only to Guam, but also to Fukushima, Tokyo, New York, and other areas with which she is closely connected.
2019
Tokyo Independent 2019 | Chinretsukan Gallery, The University Art Museum, Tokyo University of the Art, Tokyo | April 18 – May 5, 2019
2018
Zeno Woman | Fukushima Biennale 2018 | Adachigahara Furusato Mura, Nihonmatsu-city, Fukushima, Japan | October 13 – November 4, 2018
2017
Through the Glass | The Project “Glass Futuristic History”, AGC Asahi Glass Company x Tokyo University of the Arts | Tokyo University of the Arts Yuga Gallery, Tokyo | May 15 – 20, 2017
2015
Mishima Waraku: Harmonious Three Islands | Workshop View | Morinohakobune Art Project | IORI Club, Mishima city, Oonuma, Fukushima October 5, November 10, 2014 January 25, 2015
2013
Chobozekka: The sole place where you can see matchless views | Setouchi Art Triennale 2013, Shodoshima, Kagawa, Japan | March 20 – April 21, Summer: July 20 – September 1, October 5 – November 4, 2013
2011
Asaja: Snake Morning Tea | Aizu Urushi Art festival 2011: Yell to Tohoku | Restaurant Tsuki to Ohisama, Kitakata, Fukushima, Japan | October 1 – November 3, 2011
2010
Art Reviews Drawings | Studio Yumiko Furukawa, New York | May 8 − 10, 2010
2009
QUOTATION | ISE Cultural Foundation, New York | January 7 – February 20, 2009
2007
May | International Studio and Curatorial Program | New York | May 4 − 7, 2007
2006
FLICKER | Gallery Side 2, Tokyo, Japan | December 22 − January 26, 2006
2005
Tent for Poet | Japan, Scotland, Taiwan and Portugal represented in Group Show at Location One | Location One, New York | June 4 − July 30, 2005
2003
Awafuku and Komefuku: Cinderella Story in Tokamachi City | Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennial 2003 | Nurigi Butsudan Shop, Tokamachi, Niigata, Japan | July 20 – September 7, 2003
2001
Titanic Daisy | Gallery Side 2, Tokyo, Japan | May 29 – June 22, 2001
2000
Reading Book Series | room, Gentilly, France | October 28 – December 4, 2000
“Another work embodies the sea along the coast of Fukushima, which was hardened and sealed off with polyester. It contains something that our eyes can’t see. Founded on the anger and despair of nothing being solved, Furukawa’s works continue to give silent screams.”
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News and Stories
Furukawa’s Artworks now available for sale via website
Dear beloved art audiences, it is with great pleasure that I inform you that as a new development.
Yumiko Furukawa’s “Pressure” Exhibition: Online Now
Furukawa’s solo exhibition "Pressure" held at the Guam CAHA Gallery in August 2023 is now available on our website.
PACIFIC FUTURISM: The 45th Annual Research Conference at the University of Guam
I will be participating in a group exhibition titled "Pacific Futurism," which is a highly intriguing title.
News and Stories
Furukawa’s Artworks now available for sale via website
Dear beloved art audiences, it is with great pleasure that I inform you that as a new development.
Yumiko Furukawa’s “Pressure” Exhibition: Online Now
Furukawa’s solo exhibition "Pressure" held at the Guam CAHA Gallery in August 2023 is now available on our website.
PACIFIC FUTURISM: The 45th Annual Research Conference at the University of Guam
I will be participating in a group exhibition titled "Pacific Futurism," which is a highly intriguing title.