LEIKO IKEMURA

The work of Leiko Ikemura reflects the poetic vision of an artist who moves freely between cultures, languages, and traditions. Born in Mie Prefecture, Japan, and based in Europe since the 1970s, Ikemura has developed a unique artistic language that interweaves Eastern and Western visual traditions. At the 36th Bienal de São Paulo, Ikemura presents a selection of paintings and drawings that illuminate her ongoing exploration of transformation, identity, and coexistence between humans and nature. Her “Girls” series challenges both the Japanese “kawaii” ideal and the conventional male gaze, portraying figures that are fragile yet powerful. In more recent works, hybrid beings suggest a regenerative connection between species and ancestral forces.Through her delicate handling of line, gesture, and material, Ikemura transforms tradition into a living, evolving force. Her art invites viewers to enter spaces of ambiguity, where beauty and vulnerability coexist, and where the boundaries between cultures, bodies, and worlds begin to blur.

6 September 2025 – 11 January 2026