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CREATIVES

Entrepreneurs.  Innovators.  Interpreters of life’s jagged edges and silken pathways.  Soothsayers and sorcerers.  These words and more define the creative individuals who have chosen Sonoma as their home.  Explore their methods and mediums in these pages and be inspired.

Are you a creative professional in Sonoma County working to satisfy your artistic expression and make a living with your work?  Register HERE to have your own page included on CreativeSonoma.org.

Sacha Aponte de Roeck
Sacha Aponte De Roeck Functional Art

Mosaic art is both captivating and versatile.

Each work is patiently made of small, hand-nipped pieces of ceramic tiles, at times combined with glass and natural stone accents. The art form has been around for millennia. Mosaic works can be integrated into floor designs,  in tabletops, or mounted on a wall, but they stand alone very well. Wooden or concrete objects can be covered with a mosaic, creating new three-dimensional art pieces. 

This media expands well beyond its architectural function. Mosaics have so much color and texture. This is a true form of artistic expression, requiring talent, skill, technique, and an artist's vision. Mosaics offer design options for any space; indoors or outdoors. They can be structural, functional, decorative, or solely artistic. As colorful conversation pieces, mosaics bring life and playfulness to a structure, garden, gallery space, or room. Browse my website for inspiration at www.vivare.net/mosaics, ask about classes, or commission your own project.  
T Barny
T Barny Sculpture, Visual Arts
A native of California, with a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design, T Barny has been creating sculpture professionally for over 40 years. During his career, T Barny has produced over 1000 works in steel, bronze, wood and water - but his fascination is with stone. He has carved 211 different kinds of rock from 53 countries. His work has been shown in over 90 galleries worldwide, and he has participated in more than 500 individual and group exhibitions.
The sculptures that T Barny creates present a visual wonder and beg the question, “How does he do that?” T Barny aspires to create sculptures that reflect a world filled with magic and wonder. His works are produced through a method of direct carving, which entails no preconceived notions or models from which to derive the final shape of his pieces. Instead, he allows the natural rhythms of the materials he uses to guide him to a final product, rich with serene fluidity.

Suzanne Biaggi
Suzanne Biaggi Sculpture, Visual Arts I have been creating gardens in the greater Bay Area since I opened my landscape design studio in 1984 after receiving an MA in sculpture in 1981 from San Francisco State. It began as a design/build practice then it slowly evolved to a design/project management studio. In 1995 monumental stone sculpture became a major element in some of my gardens. When sculpture is combined with landscape I view them as one, being inseparable. My design practice is about maintaining the flow of nature whether in a sculpture, garden, or the marriage of the two. In 2008 I had the opportunity to attend the Bioneers Conference, which dramatically affected my way of thinking, living, creating, and designing. In the winter of 2010 after concentrated study I became certified in Permaculture Design. My design practice has changed into one that is committed to deep ecology using permaculture systems that emphasize soil building, water conservation, plantings that sustain each other, use of local materials, and conservation of energy. The design studio has received several awards of excellence from the San Francisco Landscape Garden Show for its innovative designs. SCULPTURE I stand at a distance and discover what my work is about when a piece is completed. When I am in the process of working on something I function on a non-verbal level. The thread that connects my work is about exploring the relationship between opposing forces; it seeks to discover the frontiers where they merge. The medium I use for this exploration is monumental stone either basalt or granite. Sometimes I examine the relationship of water and stone. The solid and the liquid; the effect they have upon one another; how the yielding liquid wears down the solid; searching for the boundaries where they meet. At other times the stone appears to be water through the method of carving and reflection of light off the polished surface; the boundaries become blurred. My work is contemplative, collaborating with the stones…choosing areas where I alter the stone. In doing this I attempt to create a harmony between the alteration and the original stone… to add a new history to the old. As I go into the stone I am exposing the interior of the stone. The frontiers where the explorer and the explored meet becomes exposed. My work is also about site; a collaboration between man and nature. I see no distinction between the sculpture and the site; they are interdependent. Besides taking into consideration all the elements that exist at the site including physical, spiritual, intended use, etc.; there is often the additional collaboration between the client, architects, engineers, contractors and the sculptor. This combination of ideas and energies can lead to very powerful results. The influences on my work have been my travels. Japan, Mooria, and Italy in particular. Japan because of the aesthetic – simple, elegant, wabi sabi; Mooria because of the ancient stone worship sites; and Italy because of the Mannerist gardens blurring the line between object and landscape.
Ron Carter
Ron Carter Architecture, Artisan, Audio, Ceramics, Children's, Creative Sonoma Grantee, Design, Directing, Fashion Design, Fiction, Film, Functional Art, Furniture, Graphic Design, Illustration, Instrumental, Interior Design, Jewelry, Literature, Media, Mixed, Muralist, Music, Other, Other, Other, Painting, Photography, Poetry, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Video, Visual Arts, Woodworking

My Path... Divergent visions gave rise to my creative present. A present refreshed by art as life and livelihood.

Experiences like the ‘Tubbs Fire’ that hit Santa Rosa serve to strengthen the ‘artist within me’. It foements subjective creative moments that utilize my past, present - and my future as focal lenses. Spontaneously, I chose The San Francisco Art Institute over The Rhode Island School of Design and the School of the Art Institute  at Chicago for my formal Art education. I received my BFA in Interdisciplinary Art and Public Art. I’ve studied stone sculpture for 10 years with Master Sculpture-Ante’ Marinovic, one of Croatia’s premier stone sculptors and is considered a Croatian national treasure. I explore the collaboration between artist, media and tool in such a fashion as to give rise to multiple layers of compressed info within each piece I create no matter if it is a purely visual work or an interactive space or environmental art form. For me, art screams out into all aspects of my life. As an artist in western society, dogma and bravado go hand in hand with economic choice. Art is my life. If it’s not nailed down or permanently affixed,  it’s in trouble of becoming art resource material. Well, upon further review, even that won’t deter me from considering an objects use in an art piece.
Toby Daniels
Toby Daniels Acting, Artisan, Audio, Dance, Design, Fiction, Film, Graphic Design, Illustration, Instrumental, Latin, Literature, Media, Mixed, Modern, Multi-Media, Music, Non-Fiction, Other, Other, Painting, Performance Art, Photography, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Theatre, Video, Visual Arts, Woodworking

Born in San Francisco, I grew up in Lucas Valley (Marin County) 15 years then, lived in Hopewell, New Jersey (between Princeton and Trenton) for 3 years, finishing high school. After graduation, chose to live in Bozeman, Montana (close to Yellowstone National Park and the Big Sky Ski Resort) for 5 years, attending Montana State University, earning degrees.

After obtaining a Bachelor's Degree in Business (Marketing Option) along with a Minor in Communication from MSU, I lived in Terra Linda (Marin County) for 6 years, continuing Multimedia studies, working.

In 1999 I moved to central Santa Rosa (Sonoma County, the "Heart of the Wine Country") and lived there for 10 years, attending a quality college for additional post-graduate studies. I broadened my education studying visual media (Computer Art, Applied Graphics, Desktop Publishing, Art, Multimedia, and web design) at Santa Rosa Junior College, while working.

With regards to my 11 years of college studies and two degrees that accompany two certificates (that relate to visual media composition and presentation), I have undertaken a variety of post-graduate studies and working in local businesses, I have expanded my knowledge of various programs that are applicable to corporate establishments and gained additional skill and knowledge of Multimedia and HTML, in pursuit of an occupation that relates to promotion, advertising or marketing.

I enjoyed the opportunity to develop my skills in project coordination, client services, problem solving and negotiating, applying my studies and abilities, seeking an opportunity where my experience, initiative and dedication to both personal and organizational goals will be valued.


Rene Dayan-Whitehead
Rene Dayan-Whitehead Artisan, Glass, Sculpture, Visual Arts Throughout my personal and professional life everything I have gravitated to has been related to form in three dimensions, dancing, costume design, product design, and now stone sculpture. As solid as stone may seem, it can be carved to seem light, soft, flowing, quite the opposite of the density, and inflexibility ascribed to stone. My work is an expression of the dance of form, movement and transformation. The forms emerge from a personal definition of alchemy, myth and time. Let’s dance. Through the creation of stone sculpture my work is to bring the power of beauty into focus. To use the power of beauty to expand, heal, teach, soothe, comfort and delight. To use the power of beauty to enlighten the mind and spirit, to pierce the veil of time and thought and to invite the divine. Through the creation of stone sculpture my work is to bring the power of beauty into focus. To use the power of beauty to expand, heal, teach, soothe, comfort and delight. Stone seemingly solid, can be carved to seem light, soft, flowing, the opposite of the density, and inflexibility ascribed to stone. My work is an expression of the dance of form, movement and transformation. The forms emerge from a personal definition of alchemy, myth and time. Let’s dance.
Emillien Deschamps
Emillien Deschamps Audio, Composition, Media, Music, Vocal Lyricist/Vocalist that loves to sing and rap with a taste of sweet reggae. Sings in the group the Bloodstones and performs regionally in the North Bay and Bay Area.  
Judith Eisen
Judith Eisen Painting, Visual Arts Born in 1942,  Judith  was discovered at age 6 to be a prodigy in the  area of painting, and given the opportunity to learn to paint in oils.  Painting, exhibiting and selling artwork has been a constant throughout her life. Judith moved to Sonoma County in 1973,  and still loves painting the beautiful landscape we have here.  She is also committed to working in the community and has spent the last 11 years serving on the County's Area Agency on Aging Council. Her methodology includes working on site in watercolor,  then using those images as references in her studio to create large oils.  "I like to use watercolor to lay out the geometry of a landscape, keeping the image as accurate as possible. Then when I am working in oils, I can 'play' more, as i have the parameters, the structure, already down."  She has an enduring love of painting limestone formations and has followed the trail of limestone, through many countries in Southeast Asia.   She taught at the International School in Singapore  in 1991 and 1992.   After retiring in 1993, Judith spent almost seven years living on an island off the coast of Thailand, painting and selling artwork. Judith is an acknowledged world expert in the area of holography (3-D laser photography),  creating the first moving hologram of scanning electron microscope information for the Smithsonian in 1980; for this, she was made a fellow of the Royal Microscopal  Society (London) in 1987. She currently shelters-in-place painting in her garden.  
Gilham Erickson
Gilham Erickson Artisan, Other, Recovery Fund Grantee The Stone Carvers Guild is a group of independent working professional carvers based throughout the United States. We are working to ensure that carved stone will continue to play an important role in our built environment throughout the 21st century and beyond.
Mirka Knaster
Mirka Knaster Artisan, Fiber Art, Mixed, Visual Arts Natural environments, East Asian aesthetics, the places I've lived and traveled, 20th-century abstract art, and my meditation practice are the most important influences and inspirations for my art. Growing up cross-culturally, I am drawn to learn and appreciate how people around the world create with a wide range of materials--plants, clay, wood, stone, metal, glass, hides--and equipment, especially their own hands. After many years as a writer and editor using words to convey ideas and emotions to others, I began to also communicate with fibers because it's exhilarating to engage with color, texture, line, shape and space, pattern and design. I approach the creative process as an open-ended improvisation. Works emerge intuitively, even serendipitously, as I feel my way into each piece, choosing this color or that textile, dyeing cloth with indigo or rust, incorporating paper, metal or wood, adding another layer for transparency, working up texture, stitching another mark or brushing on paint or ink. Along the way, I embrace and celebrate the surprises.
Joy Lanzendorfer
Joy Lanzendorfer Children's, Fiction, Literature, Non-Fiction, Other I'm a writer living near Petaluma. I'm the author of the novel RIGHT BACK WHERE WE STARTED FROM, which came out in May 2021 through Blackstone Publishing. I'm also the host of What's The Story, a book-oriented radio show on 95.9 FM The Krush. Other work has been in The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Washington Post, Ploughshares, Poetry Foundation, and others. I'm a 2019 recipient of the Discovered Awards for Emerging Visual and Literary Artists and have received awards and residencies from the Speculative Literature Foundation, Wildacres Residency Program, Cuttyhunk Island Writers’ Residency, and others. My short story “Sleep Disturbance” was included in The Best Small Fictions 2019 and my essays were notables in the 2019 and 2020 editions of The Best American Essays.
Jacqueline Mallegni
Jacqueline Mallegni Artisan, Design, Fiber Art, Graphic Design, Mixed, Sculpture, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Visual Arts I create mixed media sculpture with rattan, handmade paper, cast flax and silk fiber, sometimes embellished with mono-prints infused with indigo, sumi ink and handmade plant based inks and stains. Making and the art of transformation from tangible to intangible returning to a tangible form is very alluring for me. I am interested in working with materials that translate my appreciation for mother-nature's installations formed by water, wind, light and dark. Patterns in nature, textures and seasonal changes inform my sculptures that reveal primitive and refined qualities. Aside from nature's inspiration, I’m also interested in the concept of the ethereal journey, motherhood, vacancy, loss, renewal and how emotional responses can evoke beauty.  I began making Asian style paper with kozo fiber in 1987. My journey with paper and sculpture has been varied from light fixtures to stone carving to ethereal mixed media sculpture. The thread of my creative process always begins with paper. I’m excited about creating the Chrysalis series that feels like a merging of many techniques developed over the years bringing many voices together that I refer to as contemplative sculpture. 
Meeshka - Michelle Vidro
Meeshka - Michelle Vidro Artisan, Jewelry “Story” is the intent of my jewelry designs.  Life’s events inspire me deeply. It is my gift to be able to tell stories uniquely through my artwork. The process includes drawings, lost wax casting & fabrication using precious metals and gemstones. The Mended Heart, Last Drop Of Water, 14 Cows, and Dust Off Your Peace Signs lines are best selling expressions of my story telling designs. Owners of Meeshka’s jewelry know they are supporting the artist, the arts, and important causes. Shop Meeshka Jewelry Designs  
Tove Norlander
Tove Norlander Artisan, Jewelry I was born and raised in Norway and have been designing jewelry in silver and gold for the last 40 years. My jewelry is made using the “lost wax method”. I first create the jewelry in wax, then it’s set in plaster and burned out in a kiln, eliminating the wax and leaving a cavity in the plaster in the shape of the finished product. Molten metal is then poured with centrifugal force into the cavity to form the jewelry. After the casting process comes the time consuming filing and the polishing. My designs have a simple, elegant and sculptural quality in which one can sense my Scandinavian background. I enjoy working directly with clients, creating jewelry to fit their individual style. Many pieces are created around natural stones which I select for their interesting colors and textures. I often mix silver and gold for a unique look. Custom wedding rings and special designs using precious stones are one of my specialties. My work can be seen in galleries in California and Sedona, Arizona. My work is also in a gallery in Norway and a museum in Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve had several exhibitions in the U.S., Norway, Sweden, Holland and Switzerland. My work has also been sold in Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue stores.
Julia Pozsgai
Julia Pozsgai Artisan, Fiber Art, Jewelry, Mixed, Painting, Visual Arts I have autism and express myself in shapes and colors. Through art I am able to connect to the world. Art is a core part of who I am. I create acrylic paintings, fiber arts, and precious metal clay jewelry. Art for sale includes: paintings, prints, greeting cards, metal sculptures, jewelry, and purses made from upholstery samples. This year I have created some new art products which include Eco-friendly Utensil Packets sewn with hand-dyed fabrics and multi-metal jewelry. I also make Fiber Arts Wabi-Sabi dolls (perfectly imperfect) and wishing ukulele pillows. Over the last 7 years, I have grown my own company called “Pansy Creations”.  I present my work at multiple venues throughout Sonoma County including the Arts Guild of Sonoma and Fine Line Art Supplies in Sonoma, MadeLocal Marketplace, Museums of Sonoma County Gift Shop, and Rileystreet Art Supply in Santa Rosa, Hopscotch Gifts and Gallery in Healdsburg, Sebastopol Center for the Arts in Sebastopol, Stones Throw in Cotati, and the Petaluma Art Center in Petaluma.  In addition I sell my work directly and online.  I also do commissioned paintings or prints for customers.  I have been juried into multiple Call-to-Artists shows.  Most recent shows include: the Arts Guild “The Place I Live”, the Art Ambassador’s “Love is a Rebellious Bird” exhibit at Mantra Winery in Novato, Arts Guild of Sonoma’s National Juried Competition entitled “Alchemy” in which two of my art works were chosen, and Sonoma Community Center’s “Valley of Talent” show. Over the past several years I have been accepted into Holiday shows including: the Sonoma Community Center’s Holiday Art and Craft Sale in which I was one of the top selling artists for the weekend, and the Healdsburg Center for the Arts Holiday Gift Gallery.  My Trashion Fashion “Geyser Gown” tied for third place in 2018, and my “Planetarium” gown won the “Out of this World” award in 2019 at the Sonoma Community Center’s annual event.  I was invited to model and display the gowns this year at the Daily Acts Climate Concert/SOMO event center, Rohnert Park, CA and at the Petaluma Village Network talk about Recycling. I do a one-woman show every year. This year was called “Nature’s Magic takes Wing” held in August of 2019 at the Petaluma Arts Center. I did record sales in just 3 weeks with a $1000 painting selling before we had barely opened the show.  I presented a two month Geyser show at Old Faithful of California in Calistoga in 2018. I have participated in many first Thursday ArtWalks in the town of Sonoma over the last two years exhibiting at Sotheby’s on the Plaza of Sonoma, Jeff Cohn Cellars for a two month exhibit, a one night presentation at the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art, and this year at HomeBridge Mortgage.  These opportunities to meet more of my community and new fans has been great. I love to participate every year at the Wine County Nature and Optics Festival and also at the G3 Marketplace in Sonoma.  I annually have painted a wooden wine box award which is given to an award- winning filmmaker at the Sonoma International Film Festival. I have a new series of paintings in the works, new ways to create with fabric, a new Trashion Fashion design (temporarily on hold) and am busily sewing masks. I have lots of enthusiasm and energy to create! I hope to inspire others. If you are thinking about creating, I would say…“How about now?!”
Linda Stonestreet
Linda Stonestreet Composition, Improvisation, Music, Performance Art, Teacher/Instructor, Theatre, Vocal Linda Stonestreet is the founder of The Sing Project which seeks to seed circle singing groups in the north bay for the purpose of re-building and strengthening community. Born in California, she is mentored by Rhiannon in the vocal river traditions and conducts improvisational circle singing. She is a Singer-Songwriter with 40+ songs published. A former long time civil-servant in the State’s Natural Resources Division (Conservation Corps, State Parks and CalFire) she utilizes her expertise in State government and water issues to grow capacity in rural communities throughout California by her work with Rural Community Assistance Corp.
The Tahoes
The Tahoes Composition, Instrumental, Music, Vocal For almost 5 years The Tahoes have traversed Northern California, from San Jose to Mendocino, bringing their unique brand of reggae-rock to hella stoked audiences everywhere.  Comprised of former members of The Conspiracy, Biting The Dog, Tin Circus and Fallout, The Tahoes’ fun-filled sets of skanktastic grooves are roughly 70/40 originals/covers.  (That’s 110% percent!) They’ve  played for huge crowds at the Sonoma County Fair, the Booneville Beer Festival, The Sonoma County Harvest fair and recently opened for national touring artists The Mad Caddies, Fishbone and The Aggrolites.   The Tahoes bring the energy with original hits like I Need You, Acorn, Break Out,  Sparkle On, 4:20 and the crowd’s favorite anthem, Hella NorCal. The Tahoes are Glenn Sauber [Lead Vocals], Joshua Bluegreen-Cripps [Trumpet], Darren Thompson [Vocals, Guitar], Joel Gieseker [Bass], & Micah Stoufer [Drums] It all started back in 1988, when Micah moved from Colorado to NorCal.  The son of an accomplished music educator/director/composer, Micah had music in his blood at the very beginning.  After logging valuable experience with children’s & church choirs in Colorado, he immersed himself in the music programs of whatever schools he attended here in his new home of Forestville in Sonoma County.  It was at this time he met and befriended Joel, his future Tahoe bassist!   Who knew 30 years later they’d still be doing this!? Joel played almost everything he could get his hands on growing up: tuba, trombone, bagpipe, recorder, pennywhistle and more.  That talent paid off when Joel was awarded a scholarship to UNLV to play tuba.  He later returned to NorCal and joined the ska band The Conspiracy, and toured with them for several years. Joel and Micah performed, competed and practiced their way through high school and some college years in Santa Rosa.  As for Micah, all of that experience came to a head with the dedication to his band in the late 90s - Fallout.  The entire band would ultimately uproot and head south to “make it big” in 1997 in L.A., only to come home a year later, with a failed attempt at rock stardom.  He would join the navy a year after that, and embark upon a whole new chapter in his life, teaching fellow sailors how to play electric bass and drums along the way. Little did Micah and Joel know back then, but they had already met and played with another future Tahoe:  Josh!  The skinny kid playing first trumpet in Prep Orchestra and Santa Rosa Junior Symphony was none other than the future Tahoe trumpeter.  Josh's legacy on the trumpet includes being a founding member of Tin Circus, the Producer of the Wednesday Night Big Band (one of the largest in NorCal) in addition to being a youth tutor and one badass DJ & KJ!  He also Produces and Promotes large scale and club events in Norcal (since 1999) with his Company, Bluegreen Productions.   Darren grew up in  Santa Cruz, CA and taught himself to play guitar by picking out the notes from his favorite albums. He began playing in bands at 19 culminating in his first gig at the legendary Stone on Broadway in San Francisco and was soon playing clubs all over the Bay Area  opening for legends in the making such as Nofx, Primus, The Melvins and Skankin Pickle.  After several years of playing in metal and punk bands, Darren moved to Tahoe to continue playing  music and chase a snowboarding dream. 8 years in Tahoe splitting time between an acoustic duo playing all of the ski resorts, a punk band playing all the parties and a metal tribute band playing the bars was good for rounding out his chops in various styles.  After meeting his wife and having their first daughter, he moved with his new family to Sonoma County to be closer to family.  After a short stint with the north bay punk outfits All For Nothing and The Stairwell Effect, Darren met drummer Micah through an ad on Craigslist placed for the “best 80s hair metal tribute band that never was:  Metalsnayke.”  The chemistry was instantaneous the moment they wordlessly played Ozzy's “Crazy Train” front to back. This partnership which would last 9 years (and is still going strong) and would eventually form the straight ahead hard rock band, Biting the Dog. Biting the dog toured all over California performing notably at Great American Music Hall in San Francisco, both the Phoenix and Mystic theaters in Petaluma and the Whisky A Go Go in LA.  The band eventually changed sounds and shuffled personnel, including Micah moving from drums to bass. They wanted to incorporate a horn section, so Micah called up some old high school buddies - including Joel - who would contribute wonderfully on trombone.  This configuration of players would eventually morph into The Tahoes. Glenn started out as a fan of Biting The Dog. He went to his first BTD show because his cousin, Beth, was dating Micah.  Out of family obligation and a desire to get out of house Glenn agreed to go out to a stinky bar in Sebastopol. He was blown away by Micah & Darren's talent.  As the years progressed, Glenn went to many BTD shows as a fan AND as a videographer. After the band broke up, Micah asked Glenn if he wanted to come mess around with him (now back on drums), Darren on guitar, and Joel now on 6 string bass. Glenn had never been in a band before. He had done many choirs throughout his life and had done theatre, singing, sketch comedy, stand up comedy, and acted in small roles on TV and movies, but never actually been in a band. They gelled instantly. After months of writing and exploring they finally settled on a sound, a mix of sublime, 311, Primus, Fishbone, Van Halen and a dash of Frank Zappa.  The only thing left was a band name. When the time came for Micah's bachelor party, South Lake Tahoe was the designated spot.  Soon “TAHOE” was the battle cry that was yelled when anyone was having a good time.  The name, and more importantly, the feeling stuck.  The Tahoes was born. Since then, they have been inseparable on every #TahoeTuesday and they text each other like 13 year old girls. They wrote many originals and learned covers that they all liked and started to play all around Northern California. They did shows in Sebastopol, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Petaluma, Novato, San Jose, The Sonoma county Fair and the world-famous Boonville Beer Festival. in 2016 they satiated their desire to expand their sound by bringing Josh into the fold. His unique style of playing added to what the group already built and really enhanced their sound. What makes the Tahoes so unique is that despite such a broad and eclectic variety of influences (hard rock,punk, fusion jazz, celtic music, prog rock, eighties light rock, r&b, reggae, etc. etc.) there is a cohesiveness to their set that is making new fans at every show.
Yuka Yu
Yuka Yu Audio, Design, Film, Film Office, Graphic Design, Media, Multi-Media, Multimedia, Music, Other, Production, Teacher/Instructor, Teaching Artist for Adults, Teaching Artist for Youth, Theatre, Video Hailing from Taipei, Taiwan, a city with a thriving nightlife that goes until the wee hours of the morning, Yuka grew up with the birth of the electronic music scene in Asia in the late 90s. Taiwan is a renegade democratic island that become independent from China. With a mix of Taiwanese, Dutch and Japanese, Yuka began DJ’ing while living in London in Camden Town, training under the London Sound Academy. “We need music so we don’t forget that there are places in this world that aren’t made out of stone. Like the Taiwan Strait between Taiwan and China, like the Berlin Wall between West Berlin and East Berlin, music has the ability to transcend any borders.” Yuka said. Her musical style is influenced by acid, psychedelic tunes and oriental rhythms. Immersed in a multi-cultural and conflicted atmosphere, her experience in Eastern and Western culture inspires her creation of music. Her first vinyl she bought in Berlin feature the 'jahyu', a tribel flute, where the string melodies slide effortlessly amongst a powerful roots-based dubstep beat, creating a unique sound full of flavour. While living in London, her musical career has brought her many gigs in London and Berlin, such as DJ’ing at Ministry of sound, The Cause, RoadTrip and The Workshop, Number 90, Factory 45, White Post, Vortex, Cafe 1001, Troubadour, Humboldthain Club, and Kaffee Burger. She has also performed at the One Love Heart Festival in Santa Rosa, Reeferpalooza in Sacramento, Thumpty in New York, and in New Orleans with the Dohm Collective. Yuka currently resides in Sonoma County and performs regularly in San Francisco, Oakland, San Jose, Sacramento, Santa Rosa, and Sebastopol. She aims to build a global community, a Yutopia, welcoming people of all background, nationality, color, gender, sharing music and inspiration.