Meet Lua Kobayashi | Artist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lua Kobayashi and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lua, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I believe risk is an entirely necessary part of the arts – without it, I don’t think it would be possible! As well as a very important part of living a full life.

In creating my work, I feel like I am never quite sure what the final form of the work will be when I start out. It’s a constant process of taking risks with trial and error for me – all in the hope that it is going to represent the story I am sharing in the best way possible. I primarily work in photo, video and installation, often combining all three. However I’m always experimenting with various methods of production and fabrication. My work has grown to become site specific; with each story needing its own consideration and a final form that is unique to it. When making work for my show, “Where a Forest Once Grew”, I knew for a while I wanted to create photographs on light boxes but had no clue how to even begin the process of fabricating the pieces or if it would be feasible. I sketched and tested about a million other ideas before circling back to it, and taking the plunge to try and make it into a reality. After I started drafting ideas, I was lucky enough to have help from family and the pieces I imagined were able to come to life.

My Dad always told me when I was growing up, that if you don’t try you won’t succeed and that is the sentiment I am trying to live by. He always wants me and my sister to live life without regret, and always make sure we leave no stones unturned. With risk, there can be endless amounts of worry or fear that something may go wrong – I’ve definitely had my fair share of anxiety – but you’ll never know if you don’t try. I would rather fail and know that it didn’t work out, rather than having a million “what ifs” hanging over my head. I would say every opportunity I’ve been lucky enough to receive, has been built on a series of risks that have luckily gone in my favor and I will continue to take as many risks as I can.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?

In my work, I am interested in stories behind everyday objects, places and people, with which we believe we are familiar because there are often fascinating stories, right beneath the surface.

I grew up in a little suburbia, and was one of the few minorities in the community; I am Japanese-American and Uruguayan, and was raised in a multicultural house, which was a huge influence on my perspective on the world. It gave me a unique perspective as an outsider because I felt like I never fit in, no matter what I did. This was a difficult realization to come to, as growing up I would envision myself dressing or acting a certain way and then finally being accepted into this community.

However, when I went to college, and was able to take a step back from my hometown, I was able to strengthen my own voice and identity. I began to use it as a way to dig into the history and culture of the city I grew up in – I wanted to know what were all the components that created the town and the environment I was facing. I soon realized that the perfect suburbia I grew up in, had secrets – People, places, and objects all held stories that revealed a true portrait of the town, with secrets of crime, jealousy, love, lives and more all embedded within.

Using this investigative perspective is now a key part of my practice; historical research, community engagement and spending quality time in a place, allows me to understand the depth of a location and the stories that built it. Collecting stories and speaking with people is my favorite part of the process because there are always these fascinating facts and personal perspectives that are so exciting to discover and connect with people over.

My recent work has taken me down the path of investigating my own heritage, to better understand myself and the stories of my community and the ancestors before me. I created “Where a Forest Once Grew”, an installation that was shown in Westwood Village earlier this year. When my Grandmother passed, my family had to comb through her belongings. With every piece – a new memory came to the surface for each of us. For me, it first began when I saw her signature lipstick – the last tube of her classic red shade. I realized that every one of these pieces – from handmade dresses to diary entries – revealed a detail of my Grandmother’s life. I photographed each of these images, and created my own archive of her possessions. Each of her belongings became like a thread in the tapestry of her life, and I was able to catch glimpses of her throughout this process. Each belonging photographed for this series, “Where a Forest Once Grew”, pertains to a different moment, memory, recollection or era of her life. Although at first glance, they appear like common objects, as more came together, a portrait of her began to appear.
I transformed each of the images I captured into a hanging installation of LED light boxes. These pieces were hung at various heights inside of a Westwood storefront, to appear they were floating – just like spirits. They appear three-dimensional at times and almost like you could reach out and touch them. Some of the objects showcased, do not exist anymore – they now only exist in these photographs, as echoes of my Grandmother. This piece is accompanied by an online archive of the objects, so viewers can learn more about my Grandmother’s history, and see actual images of her at various ages and find details about each of her belongings. 

Although this project began through an individual narrative, I found during the duration of the show that other Japanese-Americans resonated with the work and could see their own family members within. They recognized similar objects within their own spaces, and some even had family members who were at the same places as my Grandmother. We were able to share remembrances of our ancestors and found joy in swapping these stories. Those who were not Japanese-American, were curious to learn more and engage in conversations about the history. As well as identify with the feeling of reconnecting with their loved ones through the impressions they left behind. This meant a lot to me, and I became inspired to continue collecting and documenting the stories of Japanese-Americans and their histories in the Midwest.

On that note, I am lucky enough to be partnering with the Aurora Photo Center, for their Project Residency this September; I am hoping to create work about the stories, history and community of Japanese-Americans within Indiana. This project is really exciting for me as, like many Japanese-American families, after the concentration camps, my family stayed in the Midwest for a bit before returning to the West coast. I am eager to learn more about their experiences as I always wondered what the experience would’ve been like, or where my family would have ended up if they had not come back to California.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I’ve thought about this a lot, and whenever I have a friend in town I end up taking them to these same spots!

Food is always at the forefront of my mind, when a friend comes to town – it’s difficult to choose because LA has such a great diverse selection but I’d say my top picks have to be Tsujita for tsukemen ramen, Marugame Monzo for their miso carbonara udon, and for special occasions Mozza Pizzeria. Those places have great memories for me and some pretty magical food.

Now – if we’re after a good dessert, I love Millet in Sawtelle – they have these incredible Crème brûlée crepes that I haven’t found anywhere else. And if you’re in the mood for ice cream, Saffron and Rose is a classic from my time at UCLA and I just found Wanderlust Creamery in Sawtelle, which has incredibly unique flavors that are so fun!

For places to go, my absolute favorite museum is the Museum of Jurassic Technology in Culver City – I’ve been going since I was young and every time I find something new and inspirational. It’s a series of these whacky but beautifully done installations. I won’t say too much as I don’t want to spoil it but it’s like walking into a cabinet of curiosities, it’s easy to get lost in there.

The Japanese American Museum in DTLA, is also a really wonderful place to visit. I’ve been going there since I was really young; it’s the best place to learn about the history and experiences of Japanese Americans in the United States. They also always have really wonderful contemporary exhibitions, as well as one of my favorite gift shops.

One of my favorite things to do is to people-watch in Melrose; I love seeing everyone’s style while just walking around because there are always people styling themselves in really unique ways. I also just like hanging out around Melrose because there’s always something going on, and probably a new place to shop or eat.

I had a residency in the building so I am a bit biased but I really love the Camera Obscura in Santa Monica (unfortunately, I think it is temporarily closed but hopefully it will open again soon). It’s a hidden gem, it gives you a beautiful, unique view of Santa Monica and has been around since 1898! It’s a great little piece of LA’s history.

To end the day, I love going to either Marina del Rey or Will Rogers State Beach. There often aren’t as many people, both of them have a bit of sentimental value and there’s always a great view – it’s just a classic California thing to do!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I feel very fortunate to have had many people in my life who have uplifted and helped me throughout my career. Nothing I have done, has been without the help and kindness of others. However, in choosing one group to dedicate this to – it has to be my family. I feel very lucky to have them as they have always been supportive of me and are always helping me whenever they can.

My Father is an artist himself and has always encouraged me to pursue the arts. I can remember when I was in middle school and I wanted to go into the arts but was a bit shy and scared about how to go about it. So one day when I got back home from school, he told me that he signed me up for life drawing classes on the weekends and I never looked back. Now after graduating art school and working as an artist – my Dad is still the first person I bounce ideas off of.

My Mother is an architect and she was always taking me to and from those classes, to help me get art supplies and with anything else I needed. She’s helped me with how to place artworks and with the logistics in installing artwork within a space, as there has been a lot of structural planning I never would have considered otherwise!

My Sister is in art school herself and is always there for me to bounce ideas off of as well. We grew up with similar interests, and are always sending each other references for ideas and anything else we can do for each other – I always feel like we’re always circulating and developing concepts off of each other.

I truly can’t thank them enough for everything they have done, they are always there for me and always right there beside me.

Website: https://www.luakobayashi.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lua.kobayashi/

Image Credits
Images 1-3: “Where a Forest Once Grew” Installation images; 13 LED backlit photographs; the project was co-sponsored by the George and Sakaye Aratani CARE Award and the UCLA Asian American Studies Center. Images 4-5: “Shoro Nagashi: To the Village that Once was” video installation projected within the Camera Obscura for the city of Santa Monica’s Camera Obscura Artist Lab Residency (COAL) . Images 6-8: “In the Neighborhood” series & “Claremont Chapters” series, selected works, digital photographs.