Artist information
Artist name: Kiyomi Fukui
Website: http://www.kiyomifukui.com
Email: fukui.kiyomi@gmail.com
Instagram: @kiyomimiz
Medium: paper mache and plants
About the artist
Kiyomi Fukui is a Japanese-American artist living and working in Long Beach, California. She has recieved a MFA in Printmaking at CSULB and a BFA in Graphic Design at La Sierra University. She often dabbles in projects revolving performance art, and she often requests viewer participation in her projects to study the human interactions that transpire.
Formal Analysis


The formal qualities of this project include a natural toned color scheme. The paper scraps used to cast the thumbs add a complimentary beige color that allows the green plants to stand out. Natural wood planters also allow for the art to stand out against a very basic and muted surface.
Content Analysis
The thumbs in this project were casts of Kiyomi’s and her mother’s thumbs while her mom was on her death bed. Though this project seems like just a planter of small plants upon first glance, there is a deeper context of preservation of legacy. Kiyomi used the thumb casts to plant seeds in order to bring life from death (circle of life). By using her late mother’s thumbs to plant life, she allows her mother to live on, conquering death in the gardens of the many who planted her thumbs.
Synthesis/ My Experience
I really loved this project the most out of any of the art seen in the galleries throughout this semester. I loved the idea that her mom could live on because of her art. Although she talked about other compelling projects of hers, this one immediately grabbed my attention because I gravitate towards plants. This project inspired me make the most of time with my loved ones to ensure that I have memories and pictures that will let there legacy live on years after their physical life.