Eri Fukami explores and practices painting by questioning what is possible for her as a contemporary artist, considering not only the lineage of art history but also her own era, society, and culture.

Her works often feature figures with simple expressions and a “heta-uma” (bad-but-good) aesthetic. The artist explains that these pieces largely depict her personal world: everyday occurrences, relationships with family and others, romance, and her own dreams.

Fukami’s approach, capturing the doubts and realizations of daily life, as well as the ambiguous, subtle inner movements we face as we live, while weaving in elements of fantasy, may remind viewers of Expressionist painters like Kirchner or Munch.

However, rather than positioning herself as a narrator of art history, she adopts the perspective of an ordinary person, much like Hellenistic literature that sang of love and the laws of nature. Her motto is to present the reality found within that daily existence through painting. It is precisely for this reason that Fukami’s work resonates with contemporary sensibilities, possessing the power to make us observe our own daily lives anew.