Chiyo was born out of ambiguity; it was conceived through my experience of living between two worlds. Growing up both Japanese and white, I felt a lot of anxiety over my identity. For years, I told myself that I had to choose a side, and I searched for myself in the eyes of other people. On certain days, strangers might ask me "where I was really from." On others, people might be shocked when I mentioned my Japanese heritage, because they has assumed I was white. Over time, this gave me a sense of having to apologize for my background, because being subject to the judgment of others made me feel like an imposter. But like my childhood fears, I shed this feeling as I grew older and more secure with my sense of self. I began to hear my own voice thundering above the opinions of others. I fought back against the labels people and society tried to force upon me, and gradually began to forge an identity of my own. I came to realize that I am not "part Japanese" and "part white" – I am a full person, and being of two different worlds does not make me less of either. 

The name Chiyo means "a thousand worlds", and also happens to be my mother's middle name. I feel a deep resonance with Chiyo for two reasons: I am the child of a thousand worlds, and my mother acted as an incremental force in my life when I was younger, encouraging me to carve out an identity of my own. While my quest for identity centered around my ethnicity, I believe that all people, regardless of background, undergo a similar struggle to define themselves. I believe that identity is formed when ambiguity is accepted, and that the inner self is fluid. We are all made up of many different parts that contradict on the surface, but in actuality this tension is what makes us beautiful as individuals. 

Chiyo celebrates this sacred ambiguity that every person holds within themselves. 

Chiyo: Series I merges elements of both Japanese and Western styles of art, showing that the sublime is born from the convergence of opposing worlds.