Ōki Izumi was born in Tokyo, Japan. She graduated in ancient Japanese literature at the Waseda University of Tokyo. She studied painting and sculpture with Aiko Miyawaki, Taku Iwasaki and Yoshishige Saito. In 1977, she won a scolarship from the Italian Government. In 1981, she graduated at the Brera Academy after attending a course in sculpture. Her works are mainly made of industrial glass panes, a material possessing the double quality of transparency and reflection. This induces the spectator to focus on an observation overcoming the simple retinic perception, open to a personal time-space that invites introspection. The ever-changing light conditions that animate the glass works are a constant incentive to an interaction with the equally variable and diverse experiences and knowleges of the viewer. In the hands of the artist, almost paradoxically, a cold, industrial material invites to meditation.
A condition that emerges with intensity in the large installations, arousing in the spectator an experience not simply visual, but where the reflexes arising from the glass lead to a personal, reflexive introspection.
She participated, with her works and installations, in many personal and collective exhibitions in Italy, Japan and different other countries: in 1985 at the Biennale di Venezia III mostra internazionale di architettura with “Progetto Venezia”; in 1986 with “Arte e Biologia” curated by Giorgio Celli at the XLII Biennale internazionale di Arti Visive in Venice; she exhibited at the Triennale di Milano in 1983 with the exhibition “Alle radici del sole”; in 1992 at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna in Rome she presented the exhibition “Giappone-Italia, giovani generazioni”; in 1997, 1998, 2010 she exposed at the Istituto Giapponese di Cultura in Rome. “Rhythmic Refractions” is the title of her personal exhibition at the City Museum of Ljubljana in 2007, “Stratificazioni” is the personal exhibition at Museo di Santa Giulia in Brescia in 2014 when she also presented “Arte del vetro oggi in Italia” at Villa Necchi Campiglio in Milano. “Ponte di luce” at the Museo d’arte Orientale Edoardo Chiossone di Genova is presented in 2017, in 2020 she exposed “Biennale Light Art 2020” at Casa del Mantegna in Mantova. In 2023 Ōki Izumi exposed two works at the group exhibition “La grande Onda” at the Museo d’Arte Orientale Edoardo Chiossone di Genova.
She lives and works in Milan.
