Ari Nakamura's work follows a tradition of figurative art in Japan which fuses the human from with highly decorative surfaces. Like her historical counterparts in the "Ukiyo-e" tradition who portrayed richly patterned materials draped over their human subjects, Nakamura combines flamboyant patterns with sensuous reclining figures. No longer concealed behind fabrics, Nakamura's figures become themselves a surface for shifting colors and cascading textures.

In works such as MANDALA, the figure appears on multiple panels in mirror repetition, creating an image not unlike a traditional quilting pattern. This eliminates the barrier between subject and artist by presenting the figure and decoration in a unified design.

A graduate of Hokkaido Education University, Ari Nakamura has exhibited in several show in Northern Japan, and her work in also on display in New Zealand.