Keiko Genka was born and raised in Okinawa, Japan and her dynamic paintings reflect early childhood fantasies. “Coming from an eastern culture my ideal world existed in colorfully illustrated books of foreign cities," said Genka. "I remember the cheerful colors and neatly designed architectural landscapes. My admiration for foreign places was so strong, that I now live outside my country of Japan.”
As a child Genka found Japanese culture dull and colorless compare to that of the West." Although I now realize the beauty of simplicity and subtlety in my own culture, I still try to capture the excitement I experienced in those western books from my teenage years.” Keiko Genka continues to travel every chance she gets and finds inspiration in the most unlikely locations. “Unfamiliar places remind me that there is something special in every location, “ says the Genka. “Each street corner has its own story and it reveals the beauty of life and death. Besides my visual attraction to space, signage also provides curious accessories when I plan my paintings. Even commercial and road signs can tell a lot of things about a place.
Keiko Genka paints with bright colors, distorted perspectives and simplified geometric shapes. Her works are as much about color and design as they are about they places they represent. “In the future, I plan to continue developing my spatial language inspired by sacred places and the spiritual (non-religious) world. I would like my paintings to convey peaceful feelings with a sense of childhood innocence.” For more information about Keiko Genka, please click on this link to read her vitae.
