Ayako Rokkaku was born in Chiba, Japan, and today moves fluidly between Berlin, Porto, and Tokyo. Though she began painting in childhood, it wasn’t until her early twenties that she fully embraced life as an artist. Rokkaku’s creative universe lives somewhere between the raw energy of abstract expressionism and the innocence of a child’s dream. A trip to New York ignited her admiration for artists like Jackson Pollock and Cy Twombly — not for their technique alone, but for their spirit of freedom. Yet, Rokkaku always felt the urge to insert life into abstraction: ears, eyes, horns, little characters that animate her kaleidoscopic worlds.
Her signature figures — wide-eyed, floating through clouds of swirling rainbow hues — inhabit paintings that feel simultaneously playful and transient. These dreamlike beings drift through ever-shifting atmospheres, evoking both joy and impermanence. In works like Paraíso, she nods to Tintoretto’s celestial scenes, not to replicate paradise, but to express it as a fleeting emotional state. For Rokkaku, paradise isn’t a destination — it’s a moment that can’t be held, only felt.
Rokkaku’s practice centers on spontaneity and tactility. She paints directly with her fingers, often on cardboard or found materials, and frequently performs live, turning the act of painting into a meditative, time-bound experience. Her career highlights include solo exhibitions at the Kunsthal Rotterdam (2012), Château de Vincennes (2014), and Museum JAN in the Netherlands (2020), among others. Her work has been exhibited globally — from Art Basel to major galleries across Tokyo, Paris, and Seoul — and is held in numerous public and private collections. Through her vibrant, hands-on approach and her deep commitment to the emotional moment, Rokkaku continues to build a visual language rooted in wonder, energy, and a fearless embrace of the ephemeral.
