Mizuho Fukumuro studied Nihonga at the University of Tsukuba.  Working in acrylic paint, Fukumuro explores abstract expression with matte, muted colors. The artist states that her inspiration comes from natural phenomena such as lava flowing inside mountains, stratum deep in the sea, and water veins. Fukumuro: “Such activities are invisible to us. My work investigates how these phenomena relate to our being and emotions.”