As a Japanese-American-Chilean mix, Erica Kitamura kickstarted her career as a visual art-ist when she was 16. She won the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan Charity Walk-A-Thon Design Award for two consecutive years, and ACCJ granted her a Scholar-ship as a result. She then attended VCUarts where she received her BFA in Graphic De-sign and graduated Magna Cum Laude. Erica mastered various mediums including Graph-ic Design, Sculpture, and Startup Incubation. She returned to Tokyo to pursue a career in UIUX design while continuing her passion for Art. She explains, “The process by which I create my work is similar to abstract expressionism. As a digital designer, my decision-making requires being logical and empathetic. As a painter, I have the freedom to release any constraints and choose my ways of expression. When I paint, the two worlds of the digital and analog merge.”