Artist Tim Okamura Reveals Inner Strength of Women

Okamura describes his artwork as “investigating identity, the urban environment and
contemporary iconography through a unique method of painting — one that combines an essentially academic approach to the figure with collage, spray paint and mixed media.”

The native of Edmonton, Canada earned a B.F.A. with Distinction at the Alberta College of Art and Design in Calgary, Canada before moving to New York City to attend the School of Visual Arts in 1991. After graduating with an M.F.A. in 1993, he permanently relocated to Brooklyn.

Since then he’s been using his creations as a medium to share positive stories. You may have seen Okamura’s artwork featured in films, including Prime, School of Rock, Pieces of April and Jersey Girl.

His paintings are filtered through the lens of his personal experience as someone of Japanese and British heritage growing up in area that was not diverse. Through his artistic process, Okamura discovered a welcomed challenge of telling the stories of women of color, which he believes should be represented in the art world. He searches for the inner strength in all of the women he paints. When you see his large-scale creations up close, you can feel the strength and vitality.

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