Who is Yui Maehara?

Hello dear blogger viewer, my name is Yui Maehara. I am a sophomore undergraduate attending Lawrence University as a studio art/film double major. I was born in New York City from two Japanese parents making me a Japanese American. Both of my parents are also artists (mother is an installation artist/Father is an oil painter) and despite what I said about not wanting to become an artist when younger, I seemed to have followed the same path as my parents.

My interest in art comes from various forms of pop culture and media such as video games, films, cartoons, and anime. Many of these stories range from very joyful story's to dark depressing ones. I began to see that "all media are extensions of some human faculty psychic or physical" (McLuhan). In these works of art, I loved the feeling that there was another world a person can immerse ones self in despite it being fictional world and physically impossible to set foot in. By watching and experiencing these works of art I felt freed from the laws all humans need to abide by in the real world. After years of watching shows, playing games, and drawing, I found myself wanting to create such a world where people can enjoy and spent their time with. Although I am not 100% sure about what my career will be in the future, I am currently looking toward being a character concept artist and or an illustrator.

Thanks for reading!

Yui Maehara