Drawing from his upbringing in Hawai‘i, Yamazaki reflects on the subtle geography of memory, identity, and belonging. In Hawaiian, mauka means “towards the mountain” and makai means “towards the ocean”—a directional vocabulary that locates life between two powerful natural forces.

In this new body of work, Yamazaki merges mundane domestic interiors with abstracted landscapes, creating quiet, contemplative scenes that speak to how our environment—both built and natural—shapes the way we see ourselves and our place in the world.