Sweeping with the Fingertips... Reminiscent of a Child’s Doodle [Hyunhee Lee’s 'Art Talk']

Japanese painter Ayako Rokkaku’s works often feature characters with large, expressive eyes. She typically depicts girls either along the edge or across the entire canvas. Their curious and lively appearance radiates positive energy to viewers.
In the canvas piece 'Untitled (ARP09-017)' created in 2009, a girl holding a flower in one hand gazes off into the distance from the upper left corner. Surrounding her, a variety of images—birds, cars, flower petals—blend together in harmony.
The vibrant composition, filled with clusters of images in brilliant colors, exudes an innocence reminiscent of children’s doodles on paper or walls, where they freely express their own worlds. In terms of structure, the varied arrangement and depiction of each image create a sense of expanded space.
Rokkaku left university, where she initially majored in graphic design, to pursue fine art. She wanted to express her emotions and play a more active role in the creative process. Afterward, she chose not to return to formal education and began working independently.
Without formal art training, Rokkaku’s works are unrestrained by specific concepts or styles, both in materials and technique. Notably, she omits the use of brushes, instead applying paint directly with her hands. It is said this approach began when she first experienced the tactile sensation of wiping paint off her hands onto a nearby box. The artist finds inspiration in the friction and warmth that arise when her hands make direct contact with the paint or canvas surface.
Each piece is created spontaneously, without preliminary sketches, as the artist faces the canvas. For Rokkaku, who was shy and reserved in conversation, her art became a bridge to the outside world. Her work contains thoughts and stories she wishes to share. The time spent from a blank canvas to a finished piece is, in essence, a process of honestly revealing her innermost whispers.
Hyunhee Lee, Seoul Auction Archive Team