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Description
Saori Murphy (b. 1972) is an Uchinacu-born Okinawan-American artist and curator who works within multiple modalities to allow organic interpretation while bridging cultural spectrums. As a U.S. Army Veteran, Murphy has dedicated much of her career to advocating for healing through the arts, working directly with veterans in recovery and in the justice system. She is a certified Master Facilitator of Intuitive Painting and Expressive Arts, and a member of several associations including the Americans for the Arts, the National Initiative for the Arts & Health in the Military, Veterans for Peace, and was Director of Veteran HeART Circles. Murphy has also curated exhibitions of art by military veterans and written published literature on the subject.
In addition to her work within the military veteran community, Murphy was also a key contributor to the growth and development of the organic grassroots arts community of St. Petersburg in the early 21st century, now a significant cultural hub on the West Coast of Florida. Her work has been covered in media and featured at the South Florida Museum, Morean Art Center, St. Augustine Artist Association, University of South Florida, University of Tampa, the Palladium Theatre, and the Straz Center for the Performing Arts.
Murphy’s work is influenced by Ryukyu Kasuri, a weaving technique regarded as the traditional Okinawan (formerly the Ryukyu Kingdom) textile. A characteristic of Ryukyu Kasuri lies in its more than 600 unique traditional patterns based on nature and everyday life, including animals, plants, and work tools.
Thread of Resilience illustrates this influence and utilizes it to showcase a complex balance between widespread fluidity and the subtle linear forms seen in the three faint squares in the center and smaller red squares scattered throughout, suggesting a transcendence of compartmentalized identities.
This is furthered with the suggestion of military camouflage patterning, a rich symbol with layers of significance for her background as an U.S. Army veteran, as well as Murphy having being born in the island of Okinawa less than one month before its governance was transferred to Japan by the United States, a move which remains controversial for Okinawans.
Date Digital
2026
Date Original
2025
Format
Mixed media on paper