"47"

47 refers both to Donald Trump as the 47th president of the United States and to Okinawa as Japan’s 47th prefecture. Rather than depicting either directly, the painting brings those two meanings together through movement, tension, and layered energy. Its hot reds, bright yellows, and flashes of blue and turquoise reflect the colors of Okinawan life—sun, sea, coral, tropical vegetation, and the vivid intensity of the island itself. For me, the work is about living in Okinawa while remaining aware of America’s political presence, with the number 47 becoming a point where place, identity, and contemporary history meet.