ABOUT THE ARTIST

BIO

Juri Umagami started oil painting at Usukubo Yuji Art Atelier in Tochigi, Japan when she was eight years old. In 2009, she moved to Los Angeles, CA to pursue her goal to become an artist and art instructor. She has been studying classical painting and drawing techniques under the guidance of Cheryl Kline at Kline Academy of Fine Art. In May 2017, she graduated with a B.F.A. from Otis College of Art and Design. Juri is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in painting at Laguna College of Art and Design while she teaches drawing and painting at Kline Academy.

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STATEMENT

​Inspired by my experience teaching classical art to young students, who are more engaged with digital media and new technology. I satirize the disconnect between today’s youth and traditional art in my oil paintings. I express this theme by juxtaposing contemporary teenage culture with the subjects and compositions of Old Master paintings. While my work carries weight, I infuse each painting with a sense of whimsy and humor to create a playful incongruity that makes classical art more accessible and relevant to viewers. 

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EDUCATION

2023 - Present | MFA, Painting, Laguna College Art and Design, Laguna Beach, CA

2014 - 2017 | BFA, Painting, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

2009 - 2012 | AA, Art, Santa Monica College, Santa Monica, CA

1994 - 2000 | Usukubo Yuji Art Atelier, Japan

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EXHIBITION​

2025 The Beginning of the End, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Hollywood, CA

2024  Cute and Creepy 2, The Hive Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles, CA

2024  Annual Everything But the Kitchen Sink Exhibition, La Luz de Jesus Gallery, Hollywood, CA

2024  Big Canyon Show, Big Canyon Country Club, Newport Beach, CA

2024  Laguna Beach City Hall MFA Exhibition, Laguna Beach City Hall, Laguna Beach, CA

2023  RAIZ II curated by Thinkspace Projects | Tlaloc Studios | The Perez Brothers, Palm Desert, CA

2023  Demasiado, Tlaloc Gallery + Superchief Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles, CA

2022  Retrato, Tlaloc Gallery, Downtown Los Angeles, CA

2019  Art Show, Boartooth Tattoo, Los Angeles, CA

2018  The Women Show, West Hollywood, CA

2017  SOLA Grand Opening Exhibit, SOLA Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2017  liminal, Annual Exhibition 2017, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

2017  On the Glass Parameter, Otis College of Art and Design, Los Angeles, CA

2016  Judaka Fo Ceviti, Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2016  □ (8.5 x 11"), Bolsky Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

2016  XXL, Nous Tous by Citizens of Culture, Los Angeles, CA

2014  Buffering, Inglewood, CA

2011  Food, Santa Monica College, Los Angeles, CA

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AWARD

2025 Scholarship from the Fine Arts Club of Pasadena

2017 Otis Grant Award in Drawing