etsuko
ichikawa 
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.
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
-
Process
of making Deai series above
See IMAGES of "Trace Series"
