The Japanese painter Ayako Rokkaku (ロッカクアヤコ) was born in 1982 in the Tokyo prefecture of Chiba. She lives and works in Tokyo, Berlin and Amsterdam. Rokkaku began to paint in 2002 as a self-taught painter. In 2006 she presented her work at the art fair GESAI 4 and won the SCOUT PRIZE. Kaikai Kiki, the company of the renowned Japanese pop artist Takashi Murakami launched the Geisai art market to support cutting edge upcoming Japanese artists. Geisai invited high profile industry experts such as Francois Pinault, owner of auction house Christie's, and the architect Tadao Ando who both took part of the panel of judges for the ninth edition of the art market. Artist Yoshimoto Nara and David Ellis formed a jury panel in earlier editions of Geisai. Since then she has been exhibiting in Europe. The meeting with Takashi Murakami who involved her in animated projects was of great importance for her. She cooperated with the frontman of the world renowned group 54-71 Kenharo Kawagu on the project About Us, and won the prestigious Akio Goto Prize at GESAI 9.
Ayako Rokkaku lives in Chiba-ken, a town situated in the 'greater Tokyo' area. Rokkaku never attended art school, here technique is self-taught. She started to paint in 2002 and has exhibited at many art fairs in Japan. About these participations at fairs and other events in her daily life Rokkaku keeps a web log. Keeping such a dairy on the internet gives the viewer the unique opportunity to peek inside the private 'girly' mind of a young Japanese artist; Rokkaku's favourite food are chocolate chip cookies, her favourite occupation is daydreaming.
Rokkaku has mastered her own painting technique. She applies the acrylic paint on the cardboard sheets with her bare hands. The adolescent children, the main subject in her work, are mostly illustrated from close-up. The long arms and big eyes are made in the style of Japanese Anime (Japanese for animation) which is emphasized by the use of bright colours and simple details. Rokkaku does not place the children in front of a background, which is not very obvious at a first glance since the figures are portrayed in various poses; sitting, running, lying. It is this innocent portrait of dynamic refrained from details that form the essence of Rokkaku's work. The power of her direct approach to the canvas is optimal manifested in her 'performance paintings' which she creates live at art fairs, as an audience of such a happening we get the chance to be part of her world.
