Motoko Kikkawa was born in Tokyo, Japan, in 1968 and after obtaining a degree in Philosophy at Nihon University, moved to Dunedin over 20 years ago. Graduating from the Dunedin School of Art in 2010, she has been a vibrant part of the local and national art scene from the outset, as her myriad solo or collective shows, residencies, and performances up and down the country attest, in both public and private spaces. A prolific visual artist primarily creating highly detailed works on paper, Kikkawa is also unafraid to test boundaries, genres, and new materials (including video, kirigami from old wallpaper, kelp, clay, and mushroom spore tests). She is a talented violinist who regularly plays with various formations and her music-making reflects her approach to art: she listens intently, picks up moods and keys, finding harmonies and atonal notes that suggest new pathways to explore.

From April 7-17th Motoko will be playing and recording with local collaborators, and performs as part of ‘A Dream is like a Magic Cloak’ on Friday 17 April.