Artist Rima Fujita will exhibit new works depicting the Himalayan environment and its endangered species, as guest artist in the show Surface Tension at New York City’s Sundaram Tagore Gallery, open from July 23 to August 24. These works expand on the theme Fujita introduced in the children’s book she wrote and illustrated, Save the Himalayas, published in 2011 with a foreword by HH the Dalai Lama.

Save the Himalayas is part of a philanthropic project Fujita created called “Books for Children,” through which more than 12,000 books have been donated to Tibetan children in exile (you can read recent messages here from Tibetan children in India who received copies of Save the Himalayas). All the profits from her four published children’s books are offered to support Tibetan children’s education.

As Fujita explains in her Artist’s Statement, her vivid visual style is partially informed by unique Buddhist elements in her background: “As a descendant of the Japanese Last Samurai the fundamental essence of my creation is based on Buddhism and Bushido — the coexistence of self-discipline, commitment, serenity and compassion. However, raised in New York City my external life is utterly Westernized. My work is the result of intertwined hybrid cultures, countless layers of monologues and emotions that manifest in my dreams and meditation process…I work on black surface, ‘Nibiiro,’ the expression of a very dark grey from the Heian period (AD 794 to 1185) in Japan. I am inspired by a myth that if you mixed all colors that exist in Nirvana, the Buddhist land of Perfect Bliss, it would become ‘Nibiiro.’”

Rima Fujita was born in Tokyo, lived in New York City for thirty-two years, and now resides in Southern California. She graduated from Parsons School of Design with her B.F.A. and has exhibited her work internationally to much acclaim. Rima has collectors around the world including many high-profile clients. As a descendant of the Last Samurai her creative aesthetics is strongly influenced by the philosophy of Bushido and Buddhism.

Known for her distinctive style with vivid colors on black surface, Rima’s works are extracted from her dreams and meditation process. They are ethereal and evoke a timeless sense of longing and peace, and yet if examined deeply her images trigger a powerful ripple of infinite emotions. She is inspired by “Nibiiro,” an expression of a very dark grey color from the Heian period in Japan (AD 794 to1185). If you mixed all colors that exist in Nirvana, the Buddhist land of Perfect Bliss, it would become “Nibiiro.”

As a contributing artist for a popular cultural television program, “At the Garden of Wordsworth” and “Adventure of Wordsworth” for four years, Rima’s work became renowned nationwide, and she showed over 500 works on a national network throughout Japan.

As a prolific full-time artist she has produced over 1,000 pieces in the last twenty years.

Rima’s life passion lays in her philanthropic work. In 2001 she established “Books for Children,” an organization that produces children’s books and donates them to children in needs around the world. She has created 4 children's books and has donated more than 12,000 books to the Tibetan children in exile. All profits go to support the Tibetan children’s education. H.H. The Dalai Lama, Desmond Tutu and Betty Williams, the Nobel Peace Laureates personally gave her special recognition in 2006 at the International Peace Summit in Japan. His Holiness The Dalai Lama calls her, “An artist who creates beautiful art.” Rima has won various awards internationally.

Her recent solo-exhibitions were held at Sundaram Tagore Gallery in Beverly Hills, L.A. Trace Foundation, New York and Isetan Art Gallery in Tokyo, Japan where she has exhibited her work every year for the past twenty years.

Her published books include: “Wonder Garden,” "Wonder Talk," “The Little Black Box,” “Simple Meditation," "TB Aware" and "Save the Himalaya."