Eine Art nebeneinander 1996

Leiko Ikemura’s ‘Eine Art nebeneinander’ seems to have come together in an intuitive way, built up through the artist’s hands. I imagine Ikemura coaxing these figures into being with simple tools, her fingers, or maybe a wooden spatula. Look at the way the textured surface seems to capture the feeling of damp clay! How the dark umber color creates a sense of earthy groundedness. The gesture of two figures, side-by-side, is so simple yet so charged. Maybe the figures represent a closeness, a quiet dialogue, or a kind of mirroring. Ikemura plays with the notion of doubling, something that emerges across her wider practice. There is also a deep fascination with the space between things – how things connect, and how they remain distinct. Artists are always in dialogue with each other and the past. We create, and then the world sees the work, and that sparks more creation in a continual cycle. In a way, Ikemura is having a conversation with all of us.