Ulala Imai’s paintings blend the intimacy of family life with the familiarity of popular culture, transforming everyday objects into evocative and enigmatic subjects. Working from her home, she elevates her children’s toys, common foods, and household items through masterful oil painting, using just a few brushstrokes to capture their luminous presence. By arranging seemingly unrelated objects in playful yet deliberate compositions, Imai subtly evokes the complexities of human relationships, imbuing her still lifes with a quiet emotional resonance. Her work turns the materials of her personal world into vessels for universal experiences and interactions.

Imai is a graduate of Tama Art University in Tokyo. Her paintings are held in the collections of the Dallas Museum of Art; He Art Museum in Foshan, China; Henry Art Gallery in Seattle; High Museum of Art in Atlanta; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia; and the Ueshima Museum in Tokyo, among others.

Ulala Imai

Japanese

Main

Artist

Printer

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