DRUE KATAOKA BIOGRAPHY

Tokyo born artist Drue Kataoka is an intriguing celebration of ancient tradition and new world modernity, exquisitely packaged in an enviable style equaled only by her intellectual core.  Of noble lineage spanning five centuries of history, she is heir to Kataoka Samurai and is the honorable guardian of the Kataoka Samurai Sword.  Using the 2000 year-old Japanese art form of brush painting, or Sumi-e, her body of work — an homage to the ancient fathers of her birthright — has gained international acclaim.

Destined for a life devoted to the discipline of the brush, this Stanford alumnus painted her first stroke at the age of 3 and at 17, in recognition of her mastery of the ancient canon of brush strokes, she was ceremoniously presented with her HAN, the unique master signature stamp that now validates each new composition with a crimson seal of destiny.  Her career exploded while still in college, in part thanks to the ferocity of her school spirit that manifested itself in majestic tributes to its athletic heroes and to the impressive sandstone structures that grace the grounds.  Silicon Valley was built on single keyboard strokes, and it was here in the dorms late at night that Drue absorbed the rhythm of those keystrokes rising and falling.  By the light of the campus moonlight Kataoka was distilling that energy in brush strokes instead.  Now, her commemorative prints and other printed works of art are archived in Stanford University Libraries Department of Special Collections, while her paintings can be found in the Permanent Collection of Stanford University and Hoover Institution.

Kataoka has boldly reimaged and reinvigorated the Sumi-e tradition through her own highly original vision and artistic language, transcending the limits of custom and dazzling the art world with her daring contemporary images and flawless execution.  With 28 limited edition commemorative prints and numerous high profile corporate and private commissions under her brush, her work is in great demand by serious collectors who recognize and appreciate the rarity of such maverick excellence in this craft.  That she is Silicon Valley's Artist in Residence comes as no surprise.

The desire to achieve has not rested peacefully with this remarkable young woman's success as an artist. Instead, Kataoka's calling has become a magnificent springboard for philanthropy, allowing her to use her brush as witness, championing the plight of those with a lesser voice.  As an ambassador of Sumi-e, she has partnered with 22 charitable and educational institutions to raise considerable funds for scholarships, organizations, and youth.  Re-investing in the next generation of young people has been one of her passions.  Endowed in 2001, the Rotary Foundation's Drue Kataoka Arts Scholarship is presented annually to a promising high school senior pursuing a career in the arts.

The youngest recipient of the Martin Luther King, Jr. Research and Education Institute Award for 2006, Kataoka has been cited for upholding the ideals of the late Civil Rights leader.  With an unwavering focus on her artistic mission, she continues to be a tireless ambassador for the arts — capturing pivotal cultural, political, and historic moments.

"For me the brush is an Instrument of Hope, an Icon of Peace, a Witness at the crossroads of the 20th and 21st centuries."  Drue Kataoka celebrates the artistic tradition of Sumi-e and re-defines its frontiers — at the edge of the Pacific Rim.  Her exquisite brush remains true to the demanding technique, yet captures the au courant landscape of Silicon Valley and the world beyond where her artistic impulse resonates with the intensity of shifting tectonic global plates.

Kataoka's inked oeuvre thus far is powerful, significant and impressive, yet is not the sum of her talents. She is also a professional flutist trained in the Classical and Jazz traditions and an accomplished poet.  For her unique fusion of art, music, poetry, and performance, this illustrious chameleon of the arts has been hailed by CNN as a "Master Sumi-e artist [with] her eyes on history and leaving her artistic footprint in brushed black ink."