Corey Okada is a native Sacramentan whose mixed media paintings, drawings, and constructions have been shown extensively locally and regionally.

His most important educational experience was studying under Pam Maddock in the mid-1980s. She expanded how he thought about drawing and, thus, art itself. “Her drawing had the artistic weight of painting,” he says. “That was something I hadn’t previously encountered.” Her instruction secured his attraction to the figure as a vehicle for artistic expression; her enigmatic imagery informed his own distinctive iconography.

Okada often references his art historical, literary, and/or popular culture touchstones in his thought-provoking and beautifully layered images. His regard for the formal and aesthetic aspects of art is evident in his strong uses of color and composition, which crystalize the poignancy of his work.