South San Francisco, CA  July 24, 2023

NOTE: Be sure to visit this amazing attraction, WORLD’S LARGEST DINOSAUR EXHIBIT, at the California Academy of Sciences through January 21, 2024. And while there be sure to purchase some dinosaur-themed merchandise, created by our South City neighbor, Yukari Sakura, which she is offering in an effort to help support this exhibit. To view her incredible artwork, which is also available for purchase online,  CLICK HERE. 

Thank you to Jeanette Peach, Associate Communications Director, California Academy of Sciences and to Creativity Explored for sharing this story with us.

33-year-old artist Yukari Sakura, a resident of South San Francisco, has lent her creative genius to the task of designing dinosaur-themed merchandise to support the exhibit.

Yukari Sakura’s Jurassic art has found a home at the California Academy of Sciences

Yukari says of her history and inspiration: “I have been drawing since I was [three] years old. I draw things that I like. I really like all animals. I like foxes, cats, dogs, birds, turtles, and most of all horses. I make stories with the things I draw. My earliest stories were about dinosaurs right after seeing many dinosaur movies. Years later I created more and more stories that I based on movies I had seen. My interest in animals has also led me to make animations based on documents I wrote. For example, my favorite animal, the horse, has a tail that is like a very long brush. And then there is the unicorn—who looks like a horse with a horn, has a long mane, and a tail that looks like a rag doll’s hair. Turtles and snails carry their houses on their backs. Birds have tails that could look like a fan like a peacock and butterflies their wings are like beautiful ‘flower’ petals. These are some of the things I like to draw in my art.” Yukari and her father stand holding products featuring Yukari’s artwork. Photo Credit : California Academy of Sciences

This partnership is made even more special because Yukari started visiting the California Academy of Sciences when she was two years old, and continued as she grew up. The California Academy of Sciences’ exhibits, paired with a myriad of dinosaur movies, has been an inspiration for her dinosaur artwork, as well as her other animal and nature artwork, over the years. This May, Yukari got to visit the product launch of this new merch featuring her artwork of dinosaurs, at the member preview of The World’s Largest Dinosaurs Exhibition.

“As longtime fans of Creativity Explored, we were thrilled to be able to partner with artist Yukari Sakura on the design of merchandise for our new Worlds Largest Dinosaurs exhibit. With this collaboration, we not only celebrate the boundless potential of Creativity Explored and their remarkable artist, Yukari Sakura, but also extend a warm invitation to the community at large to embrace the captivating world of dinosaurs through the lens of her art. Yukari’s love of animals and dinosaurs comes through strongly in her work, which embodies the joy and whimsy many people feel when visiting the Academy. We’re thrilled that dinosaur fans of all ages can remember their visit with merchandise featuring Yukari’s beautiful artwork.”  Carl Lieber, Director of Guest Operations

CLICK HERE to preview the WORLD’S LARGEST DINOSAURS EXHIBIT

CLICK HERE to check out Yukari’s incredible artwork for sale

CLICK HERE to learn more about our neighbor Yukari and her artwork

About Creativity Explored

We are a studio-based collective in San Francisco that partners with developmentally disabled artists to celebrate and nurture the creative potential in all of us.