Japanese Wolf

This monograph presents new work by profilic artist Yumiko Kayukawa. The pieces in Japanese Wolf are gathered from her work of the last six years, after a move to Seattle, Washington in 2005. These large scale paintings are fantastical in subject matter and always include a human woman and surrounding animals, seemingly expressing Yumiko's inner worlds. Imagery of blue sequined mermaids, hyenas, alligators, lotus blossoms, geishas, peacocks, bright flamingos, egrets, flying squirrels, charging bison, ninjas, and veiled dragons parade into the foreground or recede into the background, supporting elements in constant interaction with the solitary human figure. Panes of flat color and criss crossing patterns form dynamic movement across each piece, an open invitation for us to enter Yumiko's complex and expressionistic world.