Reina Kashima is a Japanese American visual artist, upcycle designer, and founder of Courage2Cre8, a veteran-led nonprofit arts organization committed to fostering connection, inclusion, and creative expression through community-based art. Her interdisciplinary work explores themes of identity, memory, and resilience, shaped by cultural duality, military discipline, and through the pursuit of personal identity and healing.

 

Born in Chicago and raised in North Carolina, Reina attended schools in the United States and in Japan where encountered harassment for being Asian and bullying for being American, eventually leading to disenrollment from school in Japan. Navigating life between dual nationalities, she struggled with a fractured sense of belonging. In high school, she turned to creative refuge in music, sewing, and visual art, earning top honors in regional competitions.

 

At 19, Reina enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard, beginning a 20-year career that took her around the world. She retired in 2023 as an Operations Specialist Senior Chief Petty Officer, receiving the Meritorious Service Medal for exemplary leadership. During her final years in uniform, she returned to art making, channeling her story into bold works inspired by hip hop, fashion and third culture.

 

Now based in Atlanta, Reina works as a full-time visual artist and upcycle designer. Through Courage2Cre8, she is developing her curatorial practice, designing future exhibitions and community arts programs that promote empowerment and healing through creative collaboration.

​