Wenn Pfauen Flügel öffnen

The Dream of Nature

With nearly 50 works spanning 40 years, Leiko Ikemura (born in Tsu, Mie Prefecture, currently living and working in Berlin and Cologne) presents an impressive overview of her artistic career in her first solo exhibition in Northern Germany. The Peacock House, located on the grounds of the Gerisch Foundation, was transformed by Ikemura into a new art space in celebration of the foundation's 20th anniversary, featuring the reclining girl figure Sleeping Figure in Red, along with delicate charcoal drawings that address central themes of her oeuvre. Nature, humanity, animal beings, and flora and fauna are recurring motifs in Ikemura's work. The artist moves freely across various media, continually revealing new thematic and formal-aesthetic terrains to the viewers. Especially in the current crisis-ridden times, the sharpness of the artist's gaze and her engagement are highly relevant. In paintings, watercolors, drawings, as well as terracotta and bronze sculptures, she focuses on the exploration of femininity, society's relationship with the environment, and cosmic connections. The catalog When Peacocks Spread Their Wings richly illustrates the poetically sensitive exhibition of Leiko Ikemura, featuring texts by Brigitte Gerisch-Hölk, Anette Hüsch, and the artist herself.