Miriam Omura

Memories result is a translation that acts as an interpretation of an event.

As an immigrant, I have found my place through understanding culture and place. This began with my past work, which dealt with personal identity through memory and family history connected to England and Sri Lanka. In recent years, that focus has shifted to exploring broader overlapping concerns that intersect with identity and social issues. Building on ideas of perspective and perception developed in my past work, my current imagery attempts to understand and ask questions about who and what makes up society around us. In looking for a way to comment on issues that will invites conversation and further investigation on the part of the viewer.

The memories we recall can be intentionally or accidentally distorted, changing without our realization. When memories are retrieved, they fuse with other memories to produce an unclear view that sits between truth and fiction. As a memory is recalled, it becomes layered and reshaped by the chemical process of retrieval in the brain. It is my hope to visually capture these ideas within my work, showing the intangible aspects of memory.

Born 1980, United Kingdom. Miriam Norris Omura has a BFA in Fiber and Material Studies from the Cleveland Institute of Art and MA in History/Art History from Cleveland State University. Born to English and English/Sri Lankan parents her family immigrating to the US when she was a child. In 2013, Omura left work in the museum field and began pursuing her studio practice full-time in Birmingham, Alabama. Omura has received an Individual Artist Fellowship from Alabama State Council on the Arts, among other awards. Omura has shown her work regionally, nationally, and internationally.

Space One Eleven Involvement: Women with Their Work I 2017; Drop-in Art Night Teaching Artist 2018