WHISTLER, BC.- In celebration of Flowers from the Wreckage, Manabu Ikeda's first solo retrospective in North America, the
Audain Art Museum is offering fine art prints of Ikeda's compelling work: Three Surfaces.
Known for his meticulously detailed pen-and-ink drawings, Manabu Ikeda seeks inspiration from his surroundings to bring attention and awe to viewers, as a way of sending warnings about the painful reality of environmental disasters. Central to his practice are metaphors of grief and the undeniable aspects of life that are often beyond societys control, including the fundamental forces of Mother Nature. Ikedas drawings also reveal human resilience and the ability to rise above devastating situations when it appears impossible.
Three Surfaces explores undersea worlds and the French landmark and technological masterpiece: the Eiffel Tower. Arranged within three vertical worlds that are next to each other, Ikedas imagery indicates how the far-reaching impacts of human activities have made a diverse marine environment increasingly toxic to sea creatures and other organisms.
On the top level, you see the beautiful mountains, a lighthouse and rocky reefs that are visible from West Vancouver overlooking the Howe Sound, which are connected to the Eiffel Tower and a whales back below the water surface. Dust and garbage discharged from the industrial area in the world below float in the second layer of water where many fish, porpoises, jellyfish, orcas and whales live and eat. The Eiffel Tower is often depicted in paintings as a symbol of human prosperity; however, it is difficult to know from the world above how the surrounding natural environment is in danger," says the artist.
Limited edition prints of Three Surfaces by Manabu Ikeda are for sale exclusively through the Audain Art Museum Shop. There are two edition sizes and each print is signed and numbered by the artist.