“Polychrome wooden statues and wall reliefs have been made in cultures around the world for millennia. Sachiko Akiyama breathes new life into this tradition.
– Mara Williams, Curator Emerita, Brattleboro Museum
Each sculpture possesses a self-contained, contemplative quality. That is not to say, however, that the sculptures lack vitality. Far from it. Both in their narrative content and in their making, each piece pulses with energy. Akiyama’s sculptural mark making includes furled edging, shallow articulations of depth, and an interplay between positive and negative space. Each gesture reveals the hand of the artist and her ability to create work that is at once boldly graphic and surprisingly delicate.”
Sachiko Akiyama received her MFA in sculpture at Boston University and continued her studies at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. Akiyama lives and works in Portsmouth, NH. Her proximity to the ocean, woods, and wildlife has deepened her connections to the natural themes prevalent in her work.
Akiyama has had recent solo exhibitions at Brattleboro Museum (Brattleboro, VT) and Tracey Morgan Gallery (Asheville, NC) and recent group exhibitions at Dartmouth College, Inman Gallery (Houston, TX), and Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Greenville, NC). Among numerous honors, Akiyama was awarded a Joan Mitchell Fellowship, an Artist Resource Trust Grant, and residencies at Millay Arts and Ucross. Akiyama’s work is represented by Tracey Morgan Gallery.
