Dreaming Between Tokyo, Petropolis, and Los Angeles

These childlike figures stare the viewer in the eye as the latter tries to decipher the message and analyse the scene, and yet the story remains mysterious, mystical. Japanese-Brazilian artist Asuka Anastacia Ogawa’s figurative paintings stem from her roots and memories, from a life with various influences, conducive to escapism.

Born in Tokyo, she moved to a farm in rural Brazil at the age of three, attended college in Sweden, then settled in London to study at Central Saint Martins. She now lives in the United States, between New York and Los Angeles, and continues to gather cultural experiences, enriching her reserve of dreams.

Dreams and their symbols

Asuka Anastacia Ogawa’s work is comparable to naïve art. Her paintings are simple and folkloric; they appeal to the emotions and refer to tales and legends passed down by the women around whom she grew up. During an exhibition of her work at the Blum & Poe gallery, presented in New York and Tokyo, the artist was asked about what she considers as her ‘home.’ ‘I think about the people I love when I think of the word “home”—having time to explore, and a place to paint, is when I feel most at home.’ Her pieces are a reflection on both interdependence and belonging.

Although at first glance the androgynous, childlike figures depicted by the artist might appear to be the same ‘style’, this apparent uniformity vanishes when taking a closer look at the details of the attitudes, environments, and symbols presented. These similar faces become unique; their glance may conceal a mood, a message, the meaning and detail of which are left open to the viewer’s interpretation. Alongside animals—which also suggest biblical references—the figures evolve in a way that is unaffected by the passage of time, similar to our own dreams, and look at the viewer with a benevolent eye, inviting them into a dreamlike atmosphere that draws on their own experiences.

More information about Asuka Anastacia Ogawa’s work can be found on her gallery’s website.