Yuria Okamura
Yuria Okamura is a Melbourne-based artist whose practice encompasses drawing, painting and installation. Inspired by animism and herbalism, she combines botanical imagery with geometric forms derived from religious symbolism used in architecture and decoration across cultures. Okamura holds an MFA (Research) from the University of Melbourne and a BFA (Honours) from RMIT University. She has been awarded multiple Australia Council Grants, Stuart Black Memorial Scholarship, Ursula Hoff Institute Drawing Award and Lloyd Rees Memorial Youth Art Award. Okamura has been selected to participate in residencies such as Sanskriti Kendra Residency (India), The Studios at MASS MoCA (USA), Abbotsford Convent Studio Residency, Bayside City Council Residency and Takt Artist Residency (Germany). She has exhibited her work extensively at public, commercial and artist-run galleries including the National Gallery of Victoria, Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery, Daine Singer, NotFair Art Fair, Incinerator Gallery, La Trobe Art Institute, Anna Pappas Gallery, Dutoit Gallery (USA), Tributary Projects, Kunstraum Tapir (Germany), and Mølla På Grim (Norway).
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
Exploring her interest in herbalism Yuria chose to paint three medicinal/edible plants that are indigenous to the NT - Cocky Apple, Milky Plum and Wild Passionfruit. Combining them with geometric symbolism, her aim was to portray these plants as sacred healing deities.
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Mural Location: Harriet Place, Darwin City, laneway leading to Dashwood Crescent
