Attending: Idyllwild Arts Academy
Hometown: Tokyo, Japan
Nana has been passionate about art for as long as she can remember. At her kindergarten graduation in Japan, she announced that she wanted to become a fashion designer when she grew up. Years later, that childhood dream has stuck with her and remains an important part of how she sees her future.
When Nana arrived at Rumsey in eighth grade, she was focused on navigating more than her artistic interests. Being her first time living away from family, she was nervous about her English and participating in class. The encouragement from her teachers and classmates helped her become more comfortable sharing her ideas. “Now I talk a lot in class,” she says.
Over her two years, she began learning more about herself as an artist while working with greater depth and independence. Through courses in ceramics and drawing, along with the space to pursue her own interests in Honors Art, Nana experimented with new materials and techniques. The opportunity to be in an honors level course became especially impactful because of the freedom she had. “You can basically lead your own way,” she says. Connecting back to her aspiration to pursue fashion, one of her independent works used crochet and paint to bring a fashion sketch to life in three dimensions.
A memorable moment for Nana was completing her first colored pencil piece. After spending over a month working on it, her drawing of a flower was featured on the cover of Rumsey’s Grandfriends’ Day program. “I was really struggling with it,” she says. “I also was really satisfied with how it came out.” Seeing her work shared with the larger community was a proud moment for her as an artist.
When she began to consider different secondary schools, she knew she wanted art to play a significant role in what came next. With support from Rumsey as she prepared her applications and her portfolio, she chose to attend Idyllwild Arts Academy in California.
For Nana, the next step builds on the passion she discovered as a child, but with a much clearer idea of where it can take her. She is especially excited to take fashion design courses and have opportunities to explore the industry firsthand.
