Azuki Furuya’s unique material process is itself a form of storytelling, mirroring the cycle of life. She layers colored paper over a drawn composition, sands the paper down to its texture, and applies acrylic, oil and cut-up photographs between the collaged contours to complete the mixed-media painting. The paper shavings are then repurposed into a paper mache object—a recycled memento mori, onto which Furuya photo-transfers the original drawing. Each creative cycle thus consists of three parts: a drawing, a mixed-media painting, and an “ash” of the painting.

Furuya graduated with an MFA from Brooklyn College in 2019, having also received fine arts degrees from Tama University in Tokyo and University of the Arts in London. In addition to Fridman Gallery, Furuya has had solo exhibitions at Whitestone Gallery in Tokyo and Over the Influence in Hong Kong. She lives and works in Sapporo, Japan.