Ai Hashimoto is a Japanese artist who lives and works in The Hague, the Netherlands.
She has exhibited in various galleries and museums. Last year, for example, her graphic work was exhibited at Escher in het Paleis (The Hague) and her performance at the Kloosterkerk was shown on the television programme 'Nationale Nieuwjaarszegen’ (NPO EO).
The starting point for her work is always a story. A story that she creates herself and ritual theories play an important role. It is not surprising that she has a background as an anthropologist. She studied anthropology at the University of Leuven in Belgium and fine arts at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague in the Netherlands. She incorporates her anthropological knowledge and interest into her artwork.
One of her most recognisable paintings is the series 'Unfamiliar Landscape'. This is a story inspired by the Japanese tsunami. It is the story of the birth of new life after the world was destroyed by the 'pink tsunami'. She painted images of new life in acrylic. With each stroke, the real and the imaginary merge into a harmonious coexistence.
Ai creates multimedia works, with which she has now created a surprising and multifaceted oeuvre. Painting, paper art, sculptures, installations and performances that always reveal surprising forms and rituals she has devised.
A destruction and a resilience of nature have been important themes in recent years. Through her art, she shows us a new, scenic world, more positive, peaceful and serene.
A destruction and a resilience of nature have been important themes in recent years. Through her art, she shows us a new, scenic world, more positive, peaceful and serene.