Leiko Ikemura is an internationally celebrated and well-established, Japanese-Swiss artist, based in Berlin. Originally from Tsu in the Mie Prefecture, Japan, Ikemura studied painting in Seville, Spain before relocating to Switzerland and then Germany. She fuses Eastern and Western art and explores themes of hybridity, cross-culturalism, sexuality, and the life cycle. She works at the intersection of abstraction and figuration, shifting fluidly between media, and imbuing her pieces with raw energy and emotion. Blurring the border between species, between inner and outer worlds, Ikemura encourages the viewer to discover mystery in her narratives and turn them into something fantastic or, on the contrary, to keep them within the bounds of reality. The materials used by the artist - such as bronze, clay and pigment - are closely linked to the earth, emphasizing the aspect of the human being as part of nature. Exhibition: Tim Van Laere Gallery, Antwerp, Belgium (25.02.-02.04.2022)