Tori Kirihara - February 2025
For the month of February, we would like to turn the spotlight over to Tori Kirihara (@torikirihara), a Seattle based painter and digital artist. Tori started her creative journey in grade school taking artist focus classes all the way through high school. Up to this point, she was pretty confident that art was something that she wanted to pursue and build a career in, but other interests drove her to go to fashion school. Applying for graduating, she wanted to move back home and focus more on her painting. This was 2017, which was also when she started her nonprofit organization, the Feels Foundation (@thefeelssea).
It is an initiative that helps uplift artists of color as well as serve the youth in Seattle. It originally started as an art show with live music vendors and other interactive activities. It went so well that it became more of a showcase and would help raise money for the community. Now the money goes back into the organization in order to fund art projects for the youth and provide grants. At this point, Tori focuses more on customizing leather goods, such as purses, wallets, and briefcases. It started with her working with a luxury consignment store and allowing her to design on pieces. She’s inspired by her family, community, and whatever feelings that are fueling her at the time. She also uses certain sayings and phrases in her work that helps speak to her mindset. A moment that Tori cherishes is her first shirt drop during Covid.
She had uncertainty as to what she wanted to present the world for her first clothing piece, but decided upon her “Today I Feel” drop. It reads “Today I Feel”, followed by a blank line that allows people to fill in their current feelings. When she posted it before release, she received tons of positive feedback which provided that needed reassurance. 20 minutes after release, it sold out with over 100 orders. She says this was the really the beginning of knowing her style and has been able to do more work that surpassed that success. Notable collaborations she has been apart of are with Trinidad James for his sock line and with Levi’s painting on their jeans. If you would like to learn more about Tori, her work, and her foundation you can check out her instagram, and her website
