Nanami Ishibashi

Nanami Ishibashi is a junior attending the School of Art at George Mason University.

Artist’s statement

I am interested in traditional art, including drawing, painting, and crafting. I am currently focusing on drawing and/or painting. The majority of my work is done in acrylic, charcoal, pastel, or graphite. My pursuit of becoming a 2-dimensional artist began in college. I didn’t have my own style/theme during this time, so I mainly focused on drawing from life. Now, I also create artworks that reveal my emotions and interests. As someone who is more introverted, verbally expressing my thoughts and feelings is a constant work in progress for me. I value the power of visual art to communicate what I may be unable to put into words. Furthermore, I have an interest in crafting; in particular, I have a passion for origami. Because origami is part of my Japanese culture, I was introduced to it from a young age and have been making origami ever since I was in elementary school. Making origami made me realize how much I love working with my hands, and it was the spark of my dream of being an artist. Making origami, but also art in general, helps me stay focused and forget about my struggles in life. Origami is an important part of me, and consequently, I get most of my inspiration from it.