Tokimeku Solo Exhibition, 2024 – Auckland, New Zealand
Installation shot at Malcolm Smith Gallery, Uxbridge Arts Centre, 20th April to 25th May 2024
Tokimeku (ときめく) captured the sensation of a fluttering, palpitating heart—a visceral response to anticipation. This collection of expressive abstract works was inspired by my immersive experience at Tamagawa Hot Spring, a secluded healing site in my mother’s hometown, Akita, Japan. The landscapes, luminous vapours, neon-hued fumaroles, and ethereal forests shaped a personal abstract language, reflecting wonder, awakening, and rebirth. Central to the collection was the heartfelt reunion with my family after four years of COVID-induced separation, alongside the healing and vitality I experienced in Tamagawa.
Tokimeku deepened my connection to my Japanese heritage and cultural landscapes. The exhibition, deemed one of the best at the Malcolm Smith Gallery, drew 1,500 visitors and featured a celebrated public program, including a contemporary dance performance choreographed from the inspiration of the collection.
Original Paintings
Exhibition Shots
Exhibition Opening – Video Recording
Includes opening speeches by the gallery director, a guest speaker, and the artist Coral Noel Yang, as well as the public program featuring an original contemporary dance choreographed and performed by Yiling Elaine Chen.
Studio Process
While working on the Tokimeku pieces, I explored pouring fluid paint on raw canvas and layering pigments in varied viscosity—a playful dance where accidents become discoveries. This liberating process lets me release rules, allowing childlike wonder to emerge through raw watermarks, whimsical strokes, and the poetry of organic forms.
TOKIMEKU – A Cinematic Dialogue between Abstract Art & Contemporary Dance was a public program presented for the Tokimeku exhibition. It features my abstract paintings from the Tokimeku Collection alongside an original contemporary dance choreographed and performed by Yiling Elaine Chen, inspired by the painting process and themes of Tokimeku. Cinematography and editing were skillfully executed by Kelly Chen. The performance explores the interplay between abstract visual language and the movement, lines, and emotions of contemporary dance, and took place during the exhibition opening at Malcolm Smith Gallery, Uxbridge Arts Centre, on 20 April 2024.
➡ Watch TOKIMEKU - A Cinematic Dialogue between Abstract Art & Contemporary Dance
Closing Reflection
Tokimeku allowed me to forge a deep connection between audience, place, and personal story. The exhibition celebrated my reunion with family in Tamagawa, while the interactive station invited visitors to reflect on what sparks joy—the central theme of the collection. Over 1,500 visitors experienced the works, including 150 at the opening event, revealing a remarkable appreciation for Japanese aesthetics and culture among New Zealand audiences. This experience has inspired me to continue blending Asian and Western practices, exploring my heritage, and sharing my visual journey. Through public programs and personal engagement, I aim to touch art lovers with a unique, intimate story of pilgrimage, discovery, and connection.