Gina Ariko

Gina Ariko is a Japanese-American figurative painter based in Seattle, WA. Growing up, she spent every other summer visiting family in Kokura, Japan, where her ojichan and obaachan first taught her to paint. Despite the language and distance barriers between them, they learned to communicate through a shared love of painting. Her interest in art and storytelling overlapped at Santa Clara University, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in both English and studio art, with a minor in art history. After graduation, Gina worked in marketing, events, and community development for mission-driven museums and educational organizations. She began pursuing her art full-time in 2020.