Chieko Murasugi
Chieko Murasugi is a painter and multi-media artist who was born in Tokyo, raised in Toronto, and based in San Francisco for 20 years before moving to the NC Triangle in 2012. She holds degrees in Experimental Psychology (Ph.D., York U) and Studio Art (MFA, UNC-Chapel Hill). Her work has been exhibited nationally in galleries and museums, including participation in Coined in the South (Mint Museum), Works on Paper (Weatherspoon Art Museum), and Fiberart International (Contemporary Craft). She has been awarded residencies at Hambidge and Wildacres, and her paintings are included in the collections of Duke University and the Cities of Raleigh and Durham. Her practice is featured in Art of the State: Celebrating the Visual Art of North Carolina by Liza Roberts (UNC Press).
Available Work
“Post-Erasures (2025),”
“Drawing on imagery from my redacted girlhood diary and archival World War II photographs, the series evokes my parents’ extraordinary survival of the Tokyo fire bombings—an event that sparked my interest in chance and randomness.
A custom randomization code determined each circle’s placement, size, color, and opacity, generating unpredictable compositions. A pale image of ash-covered cheesecloth winds through the works, referencing the material used to wrap napalm in incendiary bombs, while a reversible geometric figure alludes to an uncertain present and future.”
-Chieko Murasugi