Leiko Ikemura

Leiko Ikemura seamlessly shifts between monumental oil paintings, introspective drawings, and glazed terracotta sculptures, exploring themes of transition, cross-culturalism, and collective responsibility. Her work emancipates the feminine body from historical constraints, challenging artistic conventions and disrupting social norms.

A central motif is the 'usagi' — a mythical rabbit-human hybrid first appearing after the Fukushima accident, symbolizing universal suffering, resilience, and renewal. Her female spirits, often fragile and ethereal, exist between dreaming and waking states, embodying a composite power.

Fusing East Asian sansuiga painting traditions with surrealism and post-war abstraction, Ikemura conceives a spiritual realm. Her raw and tender presence highlights the intimate relationship between human, animal, plant, mineral forms, and the cosmos.