Leeay Aikawa

TRANSPORTATION

Public transit, cycling, and walking all reduce carbon emissions and make cities more livable by limiting petroleum fueled traffic.

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LEEAY AIKAWA

Leeay Aikawa is a Japanese artist based in Toronto and currently pursuing her MFA in Interdisciplinary Art, Media and Design program at OCAD University. Her work is focused on an inquiry into the trinity between ‘making,’ ‘knowing,’ and ‘being,’ while observing the dialogue between spiritual practice and art practice. Employing methodologies such as collage, collecting, non-linear narrative, and improvisation, Aikawa puts a strong emphasis on the process.

These reflect her ongoing attempt to intensify the here and now in order to be in touch with the moments of the divine. Such an aspiration emerges from her background as a yogi who leads and practices her profound interest in Earth-based spirituality, yogic/Eastern philosophy, and mysticism. She observes how ‘making’ affects her 'knowing' and then her 'being,’ as well as the ‘becoming’ of work.

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Artist Statement
The joy of walking and biking, as a point of departure. I proposed to No.9 two concepts that are more solidified, and one that would allow me to improvise without too much planning and thinking. To me, the quality of improvisation is important for my making, so the work sits between composition and improvisation.

Since this project had a lot to be determined, in terms of platform, artwork ratio, and the orientation of the work (horizontal or vertical, etc), the artwork needed to be flexible – very much in alignment with the uncertainty brought about by the global pandemic.

As a solution, I incorporated a tiling system in my artwork, which gives a sense of play and effortless movement, which are also necessary to the current situation we find ourselves in.