GALLERY MoMo Ryogoku is pleased to present a solo exhibition by Sachiho Ikeda entitled “Untangling Tones” from Saturday, December 7, 2024, to Saturday, January 18, 2025.

Born in Tokyo in 1986, Sachiho Ikeda graduated from Musashino Art University in 2009 and has since received accolades, including selection for the Shell Art Award and Tokyo Wonder Wall. In 2022, she expanded her practice internationally with a solo exhibition in Taiwan.

From her earlier career, Ikeda has focused on themes from nature—such as Japanese gardens, flora, and fauna—and everyday life. Her soft, mid-tone palettes and gentle compositions offer viewers a sense of tranquility and solace. Through her encounters with resilient individuals she has met during challenging times, such as the post-disaster recovery and COVID-19 pandemic, Ikeda has evolved her artistic focus to emphasize the significance of relationships and mutual encouragement.

This exhibition presents both paintings and her first-ever ceramic works. The experience of restricted movement during the pandemic inspired Ikeda to rediscover the “moment of encounter” as the foundation of her creative process. Inspired by an encounter with a sloth at a zoo—an animal that moves sparingly to conserve energy—Ikeda imagined what it would experience if it moved about with a sense of curiosity. Through her work, she depicts a world where various creatures coexist and interact, gently "untangling" their hearts even amidst hardship.

The exhibition also reflects Ikeda’s interests with “sound,” born from the fatigue of increased screen-based communication during the pandemic. She became aware that each person experiences sound in a unique way, and this led her to depict sounds from animal conversations, natural music, and insect calls in her work. Through “untangling tones,” she invites the viewer to experience and reflect upon diversity in a distinct and empathetic manner.

We hope you will enjoy this opportunity to experience sound through Ikeda’s work, freely interpreting and exploring the individual “tones” each piece conveys.

Artist’s Comment

In this exhibition, I’ve incorporated a variety of creatures, such as animals and insects, into both my paintings and, for the first time, ceramic pieces.

After experiencing the pandemic, I realized that the essence of my creative process lies in the “moment of encounter.” Overcoming the limitations on movement, I began to record the excitement and curiosity I felt during encounters, translating these feelings into my work.

The inspiration for this series started when I met a sloth at the zoo—a creature that rarely moves in order to conserve energy. I imagined what it would be like if it moved about out of curiosity, encountering new experiences along the way. Within my works, various creatures roam, cross paths, and interact with each other, creating a world that, even if constrained or unchanging, gently “untangles” the heart.

Meeting people in person, crafting pottery by hand, and enjoying a meal together—these primitive, tactile experiences are at the core of my creative drive.

In this series, I aim to gently “untangle” the intangible “tones” of animal conversations, nature’s melodies, and the sounds of insects. I hope viewers can listen, imagining these sounds freely as they immerse themselves in each piece.

2024 Sachiho Ikeda