Japanese mythology and folktales are the inspiration behind Stephanie Inagaki’s upcoming debut solo show at Century Guild on April 26th. A southern California native, her work is a unique blend of personal history and strong sense of Japanese heritage. Inagaki’s intimate charcoal drawings of young women focus on themes of birth, growth, and emotional experience. For “Metamorphosis”, anthropomorphic female figures such as winged sirens and mermaids are mixed with colorful, traditional Japanese motifs. She shares, “By contextualizing the female body, hair, feathers, and crows into surrealistic compositions, I am creating my own mythology through these corporeal re-imaginings. Referencing traditional Japanese culture and mythology allows me to synthesize transformative moments into visual vignette of change, growth, empowerment, and the cyclical nature of living as a human being.” Through these illustrations, Inagaki aims to explore the physical and psychological aspects of self discovery.
Stephanie Inagaki’s “Metamorphosis” will be on view April 26th through May 3rd at Century Guild in Culver City, CA.
Toronto-based 