Continuing our travels around the globe through the eyes of our gallery artists, this week we invite you to explore the poetic world of Japanese photographer Yoko Ikeda.  Yoko's playful and delicate vision of her immediate surroundings should inspire each of us to celebrate what is near, what is familiar, what is possible. This weekend she wrote to us:

"In Tokyo, the cherry blossoms are blooming. People are quietly enjoying viewing blossoms because we have been asked to refrain from holding parties under the trees this year.  In the present situation, we cannot leave Tokyo and travel to faraway places, so I am walking and taking pictures around my neighborhood.  I realize the scenes I'm familiar with are changing with the times, and there are a lot of beautiful things I haven't noticed."

Upon winning the prestigious Art Basel Photo Alpa Award in 2019 Ikeda had this to say about her work and process:

"I work with the desire to create a new world on photographic paper while being conscious of the ambiguity of visual sensation and the camera’s functions, and being attentive to composition, the shape of things, and the combination of colors...I think I can get inspiration from everything I see in everyday life. Appearance of shape, color of things changes by light and angle. Even if I don’t have a camera with me, I always try to be conscious of it. I believe the accumulation of that consciousness will help me when I shoot. Appreciating art at museums also gives me ideas for installation. And reading books related to artists inspires me a lot...I am a big fan of Bonnard and I am fascinated by his unique composition and delicate color usage. I really enjoy the feeling of lost dimension in his work....I became interested in Impressionism and Post Impressionism...Currently I am inspired by the artists of the Nabis School from the point of view of flatness."