About the Artist

I am an artist and educator from San Diego, California and have been making furniture and sculpture since 1970. My various bodies of work are often inspired by extended residencies and visits to various countries such as France, England, Japan, Korea and China.

For the past 15 years my work has taken on stylistic influences from Asia. Born in La Junta, Colorado, to second-generation Japanese American parents, I've made several pilgrimages to the land of her heritage, Japan. At times reverent of Japan’s craft history and advanced technology, and appalled by Japan’s self-indulgent, materialistic and almost faceless and patriarchal society, Maruyama vacillates between creating works that both emulate and satirize contemporary Japan.

My newest work, "Executive Order 9066" is hitting closer to home - the work is influenced by personal and family history and addresses the internment of 120,000 Japanese Americans in 1942. This event dramatically changed the Japanese American psyche and is to this day is still a vague segment of history to most Americans.

Most of my work can be seen at http://www.wendymaruyama.com