Where Artists Meet Textile
Photos: König Galerie. © Courtesy of Ayako Rokkaku and König Galerie (Berlin, Seoul), 2023.
Artist Biography
© Portrait Ayako Rokkaku
Ayako Rokkaku, born in 1982 in Chiba, Japan, leads a dynamic life, dividing her time among Berlin, Porto, and Amsterdam. Renowned for her unique approach to painting, Rokkaku's artistic process is an intuitive and performative act, as she fearlessly wields acrylic paint with her bare hands, translating the motions of her body onto the canvas. Her visual language dances gracefully between intangible abstract forms and subtle figurative elements, drawing inspiration from the captivating kawaii culture while embracing the boundless imagination reminiscent of a child's.
Throughout her career, Ayako Rokkaku has showcased her extraordinary talent through solo exhibitions in prestigious international institutions. Notable venues include the Chiba Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan (2020), the Museum Jan van der Togt in Amstelveen, Netherlands (2019), the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum in Bratislava, Slovakia (2012), and the Kunsthal in Rotterdam, Netherlands (2011). In 2015, her exceptional work graced the Swatch Art Pavilion during the 56th Venice Biennale, leaving an indelible mark in the art world.
The impact of Rokkaku's art is further evidenced by the inclusion of her pieces in esteemed collections across the globe. Some of these distinguished collections include the Danubiana Meulensteen Art Museum in Slovakia, Voorlinden Museum in the Netherlands, Gunma Museum of Art in Japan, Sehwa Museum of Art / Sehwa Art and Culture Foundation in South Korea, and the Museum of Contemporary Art in Karuiuzawa, Japan. Her ability to captivate and transcend boundaries has firmly established Ayako Rokkaku as a prominent figure in the contemporary art scene.