AYAKO ROKKAKU
TRAILS OF LIFE IN THE AIR

CENTER OF INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY ART (CICA), VANCOUVER, CANADA
10 APRIL – 19 JULY 2026

OPENING WITH LIVE PAINTING
THURSDAY, 9 APRIL 2026

For her solo exhibition TRAILS OF LIFE IN THE AIR at CICA Vancouver on view from April to June 2026, Ayako Rokkaku presents a new series of works that continue her exploration of color, movement, and the quiet presence of living forms. Vivid hues and drifting shapes unfold across the surface like currents of air in gentle circulation. Within layered fields of abstraction, delicate creatures and traces of life emerge and dissolve, hovering between the visible and the imagined. They feel both ancient and newly born, as if they have long inhabited the air yet are coming into being before our eyes. In these works, air becomes a space of transformation—a realm where forms continuously shift, merge, and renew themselves.In the weeks leading up to the exhibition, the artist will reside in Vancouver, creating works on site inspired by the surrounding landscape, local fauna, and community. This period of immersion also marks her desire to experiment with new techniques and materials, allowing her environment to directly shape the evolution of her practice.

© Photos Elvis Yang

This exhibition is proudly supported by Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, and Deer Lake Artist Residencies. We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts. With special thanks to KÖNIG GALERIE.

More information here.

FEATURED ARTIST

AYAKO ROKKAKU
Ayako Rokkaku (b. 1982 in Chiba, Japan) lives and works between Berlin, Porto, and Tokyo. Her artistic process involves an instinctive and performative approach, as she uses her bare hands to apply acrylic paint, translating the motion of her body onto the canvas. True to her distinctive technique, she moulds figures with the tips of her fingers, whether on canvas, through glass, or in bronze.

Rokkaku’s visual language seamlessly shifts between elusive abstract formations and figurative elements, drawing inspiration from the kawaii culture (Japanese for cute) and capturing the boundless imagination of a child. Rokkaku is known for he...
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