"Fumiko" for SWEET STREETS

acrylic on wood panel, 11x14

"Fumiko" is one of my 2 paintings for SWEET STREETS II at Gallery Nucleus.
Having grown up in Los Angeles, the fashion of cholos and cholas was intriguing to me as it was so unique, strong and also intimidating. Gang culture is synonymous with LA life, just as much as Hollywood and celebrities, both of which you are equally likely to come into contact with here.

Fumiko is the name of the only woman to ever run the Yakuza in Japan. My idea behind "Fumiko" is how a tough Japanese girl might interpret LA life and translate it's culture into fashion - the recurring theme of clothing as costume, and as identifying what kind of girl you are.