Join us in Wallflower at the Shooting Gallery, where we feature an artist's show in coordination with the West Seattle Artwalk each month on the second Thursday, 6-9 p.m.

Akiko Masker:

"Wheels Within"

My inspiration for this series came from “Ukiyo-e,” a genre of Japanese art popular between the 17th and 20th centuries. Often translated as “scenes from the floating world,” Ukiyo-e was popular with many Japanese because its wood block prints were mass-produced and depicted scenes of fleeting beauty and pleasure both from nature and society.

I wanted to experiment with the interplay between the material world and the “floating world” but with a more modern take on the “floating world.” I start with a “canvas.” I then take a digital picture, manipulate that image, print it, and overlay it onto the surface. Finally, I incorporate industrial materials such as spray paint or string to give the object a sense of being both two and three-dimensional. In this way, I attempt to create a world that is both alien and familiar and one that exists both within and outside of us.