As a child, ITO repeatedly stripped off the outer shells of dragonflies she caught out of a temptation to view their internal organs. She also witnessed dead animals in the woods, which was her playground. Through such experiences, she developed an interest in life and death, which led her to create art. She created plaster and casted figures at university. Then, before long, she started her work by disassembling stuffed toys. She assembles dozens of cute Japanese Barbie Dolls’ faces into her works and, at times, shaves off the surfaces of dolls’ bodies, then pastes them onto the girls’ figures made of styrofoam.
Occasionally, she allows a colored solution of foam polyurethane to soak into the dresses of the dolls and lets it flow down their surfaces. From a distance, they give a pop-art-like impression. However, the grotesque atmosphere is overwhelming and strong in its existence. Her works and installations, which connote her experiences in childhood, conjure up the existence of the endless circle of life and death.

Akahane, Yoshihiro (Tatsuno Museum of Art)