Salt Water Body investigates “ferning” or arborization: a natural phenomenon observed under a microscope when certain bodily fluids crystallize. Such patterns resemble botanical growth. Through paint and wood, Nannery examines these hidden, watery interiors of the body. Each are affected by biological cycles, personal choices, and environmental conditions; and intersects with identity, embodiment, and human experience. Though invisible to the naked eye, patterns become a meditation on what it means to belong to a larger hydrological and ecological system.
“Think of this work as a lab: microscopic oceans, human tides, and botanical surprises in each carved or painted detail,” says curator Dakota Noot. “Nannery turns hidden processes into something you can actually see and feel.”
Nannery’s exploration is both scientific and poetic, drawing inspiration from texts including Hydrofeminism: Or, On Becoming a Body of Water by Astrida Neimanis, and works by Robert Macfarlane such as Is a River Alive? and Underland. The resulting series intertwines complex emotions such as grief, awe, reverence, and yearning into visual forms. This exhibit is precise, fragile, and deeply human.
Curated by Dakota Noot, Acting Director, Frank M. Doyle Arts Pavilion
About the Artist
Kiyomi Fukui Nannery (b. 1988, Michigan) is a multidisciplinary artist and educator based in Long Beach, California. Born in the United States and raised in Japan, she works across printmaking, drawing, and natural pigments to explore themes of loss, memory, and belonging. Fukui Nannery teaches at California State University Long Beach and Golden West College, while conducting workshops at institutions such as the USC Pacific Asia Museum and the Bowers Museum. She has participated in significant panel discussions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and USC Pacific Asia Museum. Her works have been exhibited throughout California at venues including Durden and Ray, Orange County Center for Contemporary Art, and Brea Gallery. She is an active member of Monte Vista Projects curatorial collective, contributing to exhibition programming and community-engaged initiatives.
Follow Kiyomi Fukui Nannery: Website | @kiyomimiz
Exhibition runs: Feb. 17 - Apr. 9, 2026
Reception: Saturday, Feb. 21, 1-3 pm
Campus reception & Artist talk: Thursday, Feb. 26, 11-1 pm
Concurrent exhibition: Joel Woodard: Algorhythm
Press
Thank you to CSULB School of Art for the shotout: "CSULB Printmaking Alum Kiyomi Fukui Nannery solo show at the Doyle Arts Pavilion at Orange Coast College" (Feb 2026).
Installation shots
