Circus Practice by Yuka Ikebuchi

Yuka Ikebuchi is originally from Shimane prefecture in southwestern Japan. During her college years in Japan, she encountered works of art created by people who survived extremely traumatic wartime experiences, facilitating her desire to pursue art therapy.

Upon completing her studies, she worked with a wide variety of clinical populations at hospitals, community facilities, and a long-term care facility in the US. After some years spent as a therapist, Yuka became more focused on being a full-time mother and a homemaker until
her youngest took off to college.

Since then, Yuka has been back in her studio and continuing to work on painting. Yuka is now creating art of her own and finding images that reflect her inner voice.

ARTIST STATEMENT: I often look for something that catches my eyes when I walk in my neighborhood, new towns, or foreign cities. Some days I get lucky and happen to come across a fascinating scene like circus performers practicing their trapeze work. Other times I get a passing glance at people going about their daily lives in cafes, at the beach, or on city and village streets. It seems that whenever I am not actively searching for a particular inspiration, beautiful sky and clouds, fresh flowers and vegetables in gardens, and lively dogs and cats will often help expanding my mind’s eye.

However there are lots of other times, I have to dig in deep and look and think about painting inspiration. In whatever a motif and/or vision comes to be my painting theme, I look for images that can be formed to convey their natural beauty and/or become a vehicle of sorts to project emotions, intentions, and experiences. In the “Circus Practice”, I try expressing mixed emotions by contrasting between the stillness of the man suspended in mid air and active movements in the sky.

My work is evolving and searching for ways toward better execution. I humbly enjoy an impressionistic approach with texture and movement from brush strokes and layered color effects.

Pictured: Circus Practice by Yuka Ikebuchi