Leiko Ikemura

With her multifaceted oeuvre comprising paintings, watercolors, drawings, as well as terra-cotta and bronze sculptures, Leiko Ikemura has created a diverse cultural universe that acts as an intermediary between Western and Asian culture. Ikemura's international renown is based above all on her sculptural works. Her hybrid creatures, seemingly archaic, oscillate between human, animal and plantlike shapes. Sometimes childlike or feminine in appearance, the figures and their peculiar physiognomy evoke moments of calm reflection and deep emotion; at times they gesture towards vulnerability and pain, at others they symbolize bliss and dreaminess. This title introduces Ikemura's most recent installation: six sculptures displayed in the open air at Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, an ensemble of buildings and parkland designed by Santiago Calatrava. The large-format pictures included bear witness to the unreal, almost dreamlike dialogue between the sculptures and Calavatra's iconic architecture, while also presenting unrelated works by Ikemura. In this way, the book offers a comprehensive introduction to Ikemura's unique visual universe.