In 2025, Leiko Ikemura unveils a trilogy of exhibitions across New York, Switzerland, and Vienna, providing a critical examination of her artistic evolution over three decades. Alongside these major institutional showcases, the artist also presents a new publication—Ikari to Hikari: Poems, Memories, Thoughts and Artworks—which highlights the literary dimension of her practice.
These projects invite viewers and readers alike to engage deeply with Ikemura’s intricate interplay of Eastern and Western influences. They delve into themes of femininity, transformation, and identity. Her work explores the complex relationship between nature and the human spirit. It fosters a nuanced dialogue about the intersections of personal and universal experience.
“TALK TO THE SKY, SEEKING LIGHT”
(LISSON GALLERY, NEW YORK)
“Talk to the sky, seeking light” marks Leiko Ikemura’s first exhibition at Lisson Gallery, New York, on view from May 1 to August 1, 2025. The exhibition features a selection of works spanning the past 30 years. These include tempera paintings, bronze sculptures, and glass forms. The artist invites viewers into her poetic universe. In this universe, recurring themes and hybrid figures reflect a continuous exploration of inner worlds, transformation, and the spaces in between.
“TALK TO THE SKY, SEEKING LIGHT”
Lisson Gallery, New York (USA)
1 May 2025 – 1 Aug 2025
“DAS MEER IN DEN BERGEN”
(BÜNDNER KUNSTMUSEUM, CHUR)
“Das Meer in den Bergen” on view at Bündner Kunstmuseum, Chur in Switzerland, from August 23 to November 23, 2025, delves into Ikemura’s deep engagement with nature and existential themes.
After moving to Europe in 1972, the artist spent a transformative year in the Grisons mountains in 1989. They weave together motifs of loss and regeneration. This creates a contemplative space where the sea rises above the mountains. The boundaries of time begin to dissolve.
“DAS MEER IN DEN BERGEN”
Bündner Kunstmuseum, Chur (Switzerland)
23 Aug 2025 – 23 Nov 2025
“MOTHERSCAPES”
(ALBERTINA MUSEUM, VIENNA)
From November 21, 2025 to February 8, 2026, Ikemura’s multifaceted oeuvre will be presented under the title “Motherscapes” at the ALBERTINA Museum in Vienna. This exhibition highlights her poetic fusion of Eastern and Western influences, tracing a continued investigation into femininity, transformation, and identity—while offering a deeply personal reflection on the fragility and mystery of human existence.
“MOTHERSCAPES”
ALBERTINA Museum, Vienna (Austria)
21 Nov 2025 – 8 Feb 2026
“IKARI TO HIKARI: POEMS, MEMORIES, THOUGHTS AND ARTWORKS”
(GINZA ATRIUM, TSUTAYA BOOKS, GINZA SIX, TOKYO)
To celebrate the publication of Ikari to Hikari: Poems, Memories, Thoughts and Artworks (Bijutsu Shuppansha, out April 7), Leiko Ikemura presents a special exhibition at GINZA ATRIUM, Tsutaya Books, Ginza Six, Tokyo, from April 5 to 23, 2025.
The book brings together poems, haiku, and essays spanning several decades, while the exhibition pairs these writings with a new installation of glass works, paintings, and video, creating a poetic dialogue between word and image.
“IKARI TO HIKARI: POEMS, MEMORIES, THOUGHTS AND ARTWORKS”
GINZA ATRIUM, Tsutaya Books, Ginza Six, Tokyo (Japan)
5 April – 23 April 2025
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