Originally from Shizuoka, Japan, artist and illustrator Fumi Nakamura studied at San Jose State University and stayed in the Bay Area for a short time before moving to New York City where she is currently based. Nakamura’s work is deeply inspired by her natural surroundings:

“Spending many years surrounded by forests, mountains and the oceans have taught and given me value to appreciate nature and life itself. My drawings focus on the heavy influences from the relationship with it, where I depict the subject on a continuous cycle of life and death, and the emotions that all brings together. Colored and graphite pencils create layers of variable textures that capture the tranquility, and it helps to breathe life into drawings.”

Fumi Nakamura is represented by Thinkspace Projects in Los Angeles. She participated in our 2025 Booooooom Illustration Awards and made our shortlist. View all the artists who made the list here.