Ayako Rokkaku. For the moments you feel paradise

The Thyssen-Bornemisza National Museum will host an exhibition in the temporary exhibition hall (First Floor) from 23 May to 7 September devoted to Ayako Rokkaku, one of the most fascinating contemporary artists on the international scene.  The exhibition traces her artistic evolution through around thirty works, including paintings, sculptures and installations.

The exhibition, part of the exhibition programme devoted to the Blanca and Borja Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection, reveals a universe in constant transformation, where past and present come together, and where paradise is not a destination, but a fleeting sensation, just beyond reach yet ever present.

Ayako Rokkaku (Tokyo, 1982), known for her intuitive, hand-painted canvases, creates immersive worlds in which the figures drift between the tangible and the imaginary world. Her floating figures and recurring motifs, such as fish and girls, reflect an intimate and ongoing vision of paradise, resonating with the Japanese mono no aware aesthetic.

The exhibition includes early and recent works and is rounded off with a live painting or pictorial performance by the artist in situ.  Her intuitive style that is under constant transformation invites visitors to immerse themselves in an emotional universe where nothing remains fixed.

Image Credit:

Ayako Rokkaku. Paradise, 2025. Acrylic on canvas. 300 x 600 cm. © Blanca and Borja Thyssen-Bornemisza Collection