The word "Hosojima" means "narrow island," and it is the surname of the Japanese side of the artist's family, used as the signature on her portraiture.
She is a self-taught illustrator and digital artist (using a Wacom pen & tablet), born on the East Coast, but spending most of her life in Southern California, where her work has been sold to "Hot Topic" and various gothic accessories/decor stores. Between the East and West coasts, she attended five different high schools, where every one of her art teachers favored her to the point of simply leaving on her own in class while passing her with A's, which didn't turn out to be particularly beneficial, considering that one can always learn more, no matter the level of skill.
Up to 2006, she has had no formal schooling for art. In the early 90s, she was accepted into CalArts (Valencia, CA), but due to unfortunate circumstances, was neverable to attend. She is currently pursuing her Master's Degree in visual arts/illustration.
Her initial fascination with portraiture developed from a teenage fixation on 80's British pop group Duran Duran. Promptly afterward, however, her first listening of Iron Maiden's "Powerslave" album became the catalyst for her conversion to a hardcore metal lifestyle, and she thereby formed a new fixation: long-haired men. By the mid 90's, it became clear to her that long hair wasn't the only critical attribute, butlong dark hair. And burning eyes. Of course, this taste became another catalyst: the manifestation of her vampiric portraiture style. This is not surprising, as she was obsessive about vampires and werewolves since she was a child. Like many of her teen peers during the late 80s and early 90s, she considered herself a dark brooding individual with a storm cloud hanging over her head and a soul full of angst. She no longer appreciates any such stigmas because, in reality, she has been diagnosed with dysthymia, post-traumatic stress, and anxiety, but these are very real problems and she doesn't glamorize them or believe that her art should make a mockeryof them. Depression is a serious issue, and is in fact a treatable illness. She is continuing therapy in an effort to see her goals through to fruition. Nevertheless, her inner duress surfaces in her art because it is a part of who she's come to be, after decades of creative development.
Currently, she is diligently working on an extensive collection of one piece art and sequential art for the fully illustrated four-volume novel "Extrinsica" (working title as of 2008), set to be released by 2011 at the earliest. The book is a monumental work of fiction with many of the central characters modeled after the likes of Trent Reznor, John Lydon, Ogre, Damon Albarn, and several others.
Sincere gratitude is extended to everyone who has taken the time to explore her collection of portraiture.
