Artist Bio
Lua Kobayashi is a California-based artist and a graduate of UCLA, where she earned her BA in Art. Specializing in photography, video, and installation, Lua's work delves into the hidden stories within everyday objects, places, and people. Their mixed-race heritage, as both Japanese-American and Uruguayan, has profoundly shaped their artistic approach, especially growing up as a minority in a predominantly white suburb. This experience sparked their interest in exploring the unseen narratives behind seemingly familiar facades.
Lua's recent work focuses on the Japanese-American experience, with particular attention to their family’s history. Inspired by her grandmother’s journey as a Japanese-American Nisei who endured WWII internment, Lua's work seeks to commemorate the stories of those whose histories are often overlooked. Her past series, "Where a Forest Once Grew", highlights this personal connection by archiving and photographing their grandmother’s personal belongings, weaving a portrait of her life through intimate objects.
Lua’s work has been shown in juried exhibitions and residencies across the United States and spans photography, multimedia, and site-specific installations. She continues to create work that bridges personal history with broader cultural narratives, using her artistic voice to foster a deeper understanding of identity, heritage, and memory.