Tesla Kawakami

Using 2D mixed media painting, I create contemporary landscapes inspired by the whimsy of the Pacific Northwest, the effects of climate change, and my experience as a queer person. My work draws from a variety of visual sources and techniques that create buzzing visual cues about memory, nostalgia, destruction, identity and intimations of transformation.

I attended Western Washington University, where I graduated in June of 2023 as the Outstanding Graduate from the College of Art and Art History with a Bachelors in Fine Arts. Now, I live in Seattle with my cat and roommates who are frequent subjects of my paintings. Outside of my primary practice, I enjoy writing prose, making zines, cooking for my roommates, and organizing figure drawing events.