Today we’d like to introduce you to Emiko Coffey.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
My story starts when I was a fifth grader and my class hosted an event for school. All the other girls chose to be cheerleaders and I chose to take pictures for the yearbook. I fell in love with being able to capture a specific moment in time and have that forever. My 8th grade year I really dove into photography as more of an art form and learned all about film and how to develop and make prints. At the age of 14 I started my own business, that I still have today, and started taking peoples family pictures, senior pictures, engagements, events, and so on. Through my mentors like my dad and my high school art teacher I learned that I can make a living out of what I love to do. Fast forward to today I am a freshman attending Columbia College Chicago and I am studying photography, graphic design, and marketing. I have had two internships in the industry this year and will be working this summer in Chicago. I know that the photography industry is competitive and I am going in head first ready to shake things up!
If you would like to me elaborate on anything specific just let me know.
Please tell us about your art.
My passion is nature and landscape photography. We have all heard the saying “it looks better in person” or “the picture doesn’t do it justice”. I want to capture the beauty in the world and let people experience the breathtaking scapes that mother nature has made. I want to do mother nature justice. I love the journey that takes me to the hidden lakes of Mt. Sneffels or the waves of the Big Sur. The challenge of getting to my next destination is what drives me to share my story and art with those who are not as blessed as I am.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
I actually a featured in Kip Fulbeck’s new exhibit called the Hapa Project in LA at the National Japanese American Museum. My face being a part of something that is much larger than just art drives young artist like me to follow in Kip’s footsteps. I want to move people with my work. Now that does not always mean with a groundbreaking, thought-provoking exhibit. Sometimes it means just to bring joy to someone’s life, to show them something they do not get to see every day.
Contact Info:
- Address: 777 South State Street, Chicago IL 60605
- Website: emikocoffey.smugmug.com
- Phone: 3197435686
- Email: emiko.coffey@loop.colum.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emiko_coffey/
Image Credit:
All of these are my own work.
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