MARI INUKAI was born in Nagoya, Japan. In 1995, Mari came to the US to pursue her studies in art. She first attended Santa Monica Community College (Mentor program), Santa Monica, California, then Associates in Art, Sherman Oaks, California, and finally California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, California, where she received her BFA in Character Animation in 2004. Her professional works include Sanrio Co., Ltd. Japan, Disney Consumer Products, Glendale, Cartoon Network, Burbank, Nickelodeon, New York, O entertainment, Los Angeles, Nylon Motion Inc., Los Angeles, Oishii Productions, Los Angeles and NGTV, Los Angeles.
Her short animated film, Blue and Orange, has been an official selection at numerous national and international film festivals, including the Sundance Film Festival 2003, and was the Japanese Grand Prix winner at the Short Shorts Film Festival EXPO 2005. Besides her animation and production works, Mari regularly exhibits her paintings and drawings, and designs clothes, ceramic toy figures and other fun products. She lives in Beverly Hills with her daughter, Sena.
Check out more about Mari and her work here: http://www.mariinukai.com
