ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Naomi Tamura is a visual artist based in Mill Valley, California, working primarily in acrylic paint and various drawing media. Her work is rooted in representation but resists being confined by it, embracing a wide range of subjects approached with an open and intuitive sensibility.

Drawing has been a lifelong practice for Tamura, beginning in early childhood and continuing through her formal education. She earned a degree in Studio Art from Scripps College in Claremont, California, and subsequently studied graphic design and art direction at the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena. This training led a 20-year career as a graphic designer and art director in both agency and in-house roles. In 2011, she stepped away from design to care for her family after the loss of her son, and subsequently returned more fully to her roots in fine art.

Tamura’s fine art practice reflects a synthesis of her life experiences and artistic influences, which include the Bay Area Figurative Movement, Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, both Modern and Post-Modern Movements and Abstract Expressionism. Her process is one of intuitive transformation—layering expressive brushstrokes and gestural marks that prioritize emotion over precision.

In her paintings and drawings, Tamura strives to create compositions that are both resonant and straightforward: images that convey meaning through color, movement, and atmosphere, providing viewers with a space for connection, reflection, and emotional depth.