etsuko
ichikawa 
BIOGRAPHY
Etsuko Ichikawa is a Tokyo-born, Seattle-based visual artist who works
primarily with glass and paper in various scales, including architectural
installations. Her work is a continuing investigation of what lies between
the ephemeral and the eternal, and psychology has been her primary source
of inspiration. Etsuko’s work has been exhibited internationally,
including Tokyo, Hong Kong, Amsterdam, London, New York, and Los Angeles.
Also included in the private and public collections, including Microsoft
Art Collection, Washington State Public Arts Commission, and King County
Portable Art Collection. She is a recipient of numerous awards including
the Pollock Krasner Foundation Grant.
STATEMENT
My work is a continuing investigation of what lies between the ephemeral
and the eternal. I work with a range of materials, in particular glass,
paper, and thread, and in various scales including large installations.
Moment and
memory, absorption and evaporation, light and shadow are some of the triggers
that inspire me and relate to my work. My “glass pyrograph”
drawings are made by imprinting hot glass onto paper, which is one way
to capture and eternalize the immediacy of a moment, while my hanging
and floating installations are about ever-changing states of mind.
Born and raised in Japan and having lived in the United States for over
the last decade, I recognize my dual cultures as defining influences and
psychology as my primary source of inspiration.
Etsuko's
RESUME
Traces of the Molten
State from Etsuko
Ichikawa on Vimeo.
Deai
(Encounter) series
… a brief moment eternalized in a print. – Judith
van Praag, arts writer
Deai (pronunciation:
deh-ah-ee), the title of the series, translates from Japanese as “encounter”.
The work is created by imprinting the hot glass onto paper and
leaving the impression of the piece. This series of work represents
metaphors of an encounter between two different characters, and Psychology
is a source of great inspiration for Etsuko’s work.
She started this series of work at Pilchuck Glass School in summer 2004
and had an opportunity to create a number of large pieces at Museum of
Glass in Tacoma during her residencies in 2004 and 2005. She continues
to develop the series of work using different combinations of material,
and in different scales including a large scale incorporate into architectural
environments.
“I see this process as a metaphor of my daily life in terms
of encounters and impressions relating directly to my work. Meeting someone,
seeing some event, hearing a piece of music - these encounters are fleeting
moments, but sometimes the impressions of these moments take on their
own lives.” - EI
